The Figure Clothed In Black
by xCecilex
Summary: A person clothed in black comes to Hogwarts during dinner and declares that there is someone worse than Voldemort and then leaves without telling it's name. Even Dumbledore does not who the person spoke of. If Dumbledore doesn't have the answers who does?
1. Sirius

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Lo' all!! Thank you for reading!! If you haven't read the 5th Harry Potter yet, for some strange reason, this contains spoilers. But if u haven't read the book why in the world are you on the website????

Chapter 1. Sirius.

Harry was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, anger cursing through him. Nothing was right. Nothing was fair. He hated this. Why couldn't things be like they used to be? Why did his life have to be so complicated? He knew this answer to this question. He was the famous Harry Potter, The-boy-who-lived. At the moment he hated everyone and everything. He hated Ron and Hermione for leaving him out of everything, even if he knew the reasons why they were, Albus Dumbledore for making him come back here, Remus Lupin for holding him when he was trying to get to Sirius, Bellatrix Lestrange for killing Sirius, her own cousin nonetheless, Sirius for leaving him alone, and most of Voldemort. All of his problems seemed to tie into Voldemort in one way or another.

Harry heard a pecking sound on his window and turned to see his owl, Hedwig, outside waiting for him to let her in. he pushed himself off the bed and let her in, taking the letter off her leg. It was from the Order as usual. He had done as they had requested and sent a letter every two or three days saying that he was fine and the Dursleys were bring their usual selves. Even though part of that was a lie. He wasn't fine. He was nowhere near fine. He hadn't been back for a month yet and suicide had already became an option to his mind a few times but he quickly dismissed it, he wasn't going to give Voldemort, or any of his followers, the satisfaction of how much Sirius's death had affected him. And he also wanted revenge on Bellatrix Lestrange for killing Sirius.

He picked up one of the books off the floor, found some parchment, and wrote back to the Order with the usual reply. He couldn't use his desk anymore. He had gotten really angry and frustrated and knocked it aside and broke one of the legs on it. His room was a mess. They were books, parchment, inkwells, quills, everything you can imagine. He had tried to distract himself with doing schoolwork and reading but neither worked and he threw them aside. 

He was trying not to think too much about Sirius's death but it didn't work. Even if he didn't think about it during the day, he was forced to think and relive it every night.

**_He was staring into the black veil in The Department of Mysteries in The Ministry of Magic, trying to see Sirius but couldn't at first. After a few minutes of staring something started moving toward him, and as it got closer he saw it was Sirius. He come as close as he could without actually stepping out of the veil. His face was chalk white with a trail of dries blood on the left side, pure fury written all over his face. Before Harry could saw a word Sirius started screaming, "YOU KILLED ME!!! YOU KILLED ME!! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!! IF YOU HADN'T COME HERE I WOULDN'T BE DEAD!!!"_**   When that started if anyone was there to listen they would hear Harry saying, "No," under his breath, getting louder every time he said it until finally he woke screaming, twisted in his bedcovers, on the floor, panting and pale.

Because of this Harry had been trying his best to stay awake as long as he could never falling asleep purposely. He would usually sneak out of the house and walk around Little Whinging. He did that for 2-3 hours before hading back to 4 Privet Drive, sneak back in, and try to occupy himself with something in his room. The only thing that seemed to help him stay awake in his room, though it made him sad and mad, was to look at the picture album Hagrid had made for him in his first year, after the Sorcerer's Stone. His favorite picture was one of his parents, Sirius, Remus, Peter had been there but Harry scratched him out, and Harry in his mother's arms. He had three other favorites in the album. His parents wedding day, one of his father laying down on a couch with Harry asleep on his chest, and one with him in Sirius's arms on Sirius's motorbike. 

As he looked at each picture he made up a story for each one. Making up what they were doing before it was taken, if someone had set up the person or persons to look like that or if they had been taken by surprise, and the like. He had created his own little world with his parents, happy and alive, in his head.

That night he had just laid down on his bed planning on resting his eyes but not going to sleep, but his body wouldn't let him and he fell into a restless sleep.

He woke up the next morning and went downstairs, fully clothed, took a piece of cold toast off the table, and turned his attention to the television. The reporter was telling of yet another mysterious killing. No one was sure how he or she was dying. They appeared to be in perfect health except for the fact that they were dead. Harry was probably the only one in all of Little Whinging (bar Mrs.Figg) who understood the significance of the deaths. The country had been told that it was some terrorist group from the mid-east that were doing it. They didn't know why they were but they nonetheless. But in truth, it was Voldemort and his Death Eaters that were killing them. They knew that someone had been killed if a skull with a serpent protruding from the mouth showed above the house. The reporters said that this was the terrorist group's trademark and if you saw anyone with that anywhere on their bodies to call the police immediately. There had been an attack last night on a family of four somewhere 200 miles north of Little Whinging.

"Well you wanted to see they news so bad last year, is this what you wanted to see?" Vernon Dursley said across the table to Harry.

Harry didn't say anything.

"Boy, I asked you a question, now answer me!" he roared across the table.

"No, Uncle Vernon," Harry said quietly as the reporter went on to another story about how some boy had cleaned up his neighborhood. Harry finished his toast and went back upstairs to his room and took out his picture album and began making up stories.

A/N ok what do you think?? I know its short but they'll get longer I promise. Sorry for the spelling and grammer mistakes, and I thing I spelled the town name's wrong. Ok well enough of my babbling!! Please review!!!!!

Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* Revised on 8-12-03 * 


	2. The New Neighbors

**Chapter 2- The New Neighbors**

Harry was standing at his window watching the movers move everything from the truck into the house, not really interested in what they were doing, but trying to keep his mind off things. He knew Aunt Petunia was watching them too downstairs, trying to catch a glimpse of their new neighbors. Harry was about to turn away from the window, but thought he saw somebody he recognized and turned his attention back to the person. But it couldn't be. Why in the world would he be moving in next door? As it turned out it was who Harry thought it was. Remus Lupin was telling one of the movers where to put the lamp he was holding. He was moving in.

Harry didn't have long to think about it before his aunt and uncle came barging into his bedroom and his uncle said, "Why in the world is one of those people that was at the train station be moving in next door? Boy, what have you been telling them?" Harry's uncle hissed.

"I didn't tell them anything! I said you were treating my like you always do. I don't know why he's here," Harry said quietly. Though, if he was true to himself, he was glad that Lupin was here. Maybe somebody really did care about him._ But if they really cared about me why didn't they ever offer some type of sympathy over Sirius' death? None of them ever said everything would be all right in the end or that they cared or anything. They just said it was good that I was checking in every few days so they knew that I wasn't in bad physical shape. Well he's here so I might as well make the best of it._

His aunt and uncle left his room seeing that they weren't going to get any answers from him and Harry turned his full attention to the movers and watching Lupin intently. He was debating going over there and asking if they could use any help but decided against it. If Lupin wanted to see him he would come and if didn't he wouldn't. He wasn't going to force his presence on him. Harry watched them until they had finished their job and drove off, which was about two hours later. As Lupin went to his new house he looked over at Number 4 Privet Drive toward the second story window hoping to see a certain raven haired teenager looking out of it but Harry moved out of view before he could see him. _Well, I guess I won't be able to walk at night anymore, even though they were probably following me then._

He tried to occupy himself with the album but it wasn't helping him to take his mind off things very much anymore. He had tried his schoolbooks again but they didn't help anymore than they had at the beginning of the summer. Trying to find anything that might possibly help, he saw the old books of Dudley's, fictional Muggle books, and was about to look for something else but decided to give them a try. Maybe since they weren't magic books they might allow him to slip off into some fantasy world where someone's problems were worse than his and make him appreciate what little he had, even though he couldn't find anything good about his life at the moment.

He looked through the books and pulled down one called GooseberryPark and started to read it. Amazingly it did help him take his mind off things. The book was short and he had finished it in about one and half-hours. He looked through the shelves for a bigger book. He found one called The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman that was a lot longer and started to read. To his surprise it turned out to be interesting when he had thought it was going to be boring.

He read solid until dinnertime and was intending to stay in his room and not go down but his uncle yelled for him to come down. He sighed, marked his place in the book and proceeded downstairs.

The Dursleys were seated around the table and he was about to sit down but he stayed frozen at the bottom of the stairs. Along with the Dursleys, Remus Lupin was sitting at the table. He stood there trying to take in what he was seeing but Lupin said, "Harry, come on sit." Harry did as he was told. There was a tense silence and the only sounds were the clink of forks as they ate. Harry wasn't eating. He was watching Lupin.

Not able to stand the silence any longer Harry said, "Professor," but Lupin cut him off.

"Call me Remus, Harry."

He nodded and started again. "Remus, why are you here?" he gave Harry odd look and said, "Well isn't it obvious? I came here to check up on you, too make sure that you are okay, like you said in your letters. Also the Order wants someone here that can make sure that you're safe, someone that can do magic," he added when Harry opened his mouth going to that Mrs. Figg was there.

"But, I am okay. Why did you visual conformation that I was even though I said was in my letters?" he asked puzzled.

"Harry, physically you're okay. But you're not mentally or emotionally. Neither of us are. Not after what happened at Department of Mysteries. It will be a long time before either of us will be truly okay after that." Harry was looking at his untouched food unable to look at Remus anymore. There was a burning sensation at the back of his throat and in his eyes. "Harry, you need to eat. Molly would have a fit if she saw how skinny you were." Harry didn't want to eat. Eating would keep him alive. Without looking at Remus, holding back tears, he picked up his spoon and started to eat his mashed potatoes.

It was after dinner and Harry was showing Remus to the door. He was about to leave but turned to Harry and said "If you ever need me or want to talk or even if you're just bored come on over, even if it's in the middle of the night. That's the real reason why I'm here. His death wasn't your fault. It was Bellatrix Lestrange and Voldemort's. Not yours. In no way was it your fault. You must remember that. It wasn't your fault, all right?" Harry nodded even though he was thinking exactly the opposite. Remus gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze before turning and leaving.

Harry closed the door quietly and was about to go back to his room but his uncle stopped him and said, "Boy, what was the all about? Why does that thing think that he can in my home and run my house and terrify my family?"

"FIRST OF ALL MY NAME ISN'T BOY, IT'S HARRY. SECOND OF ALL HE ISN'T A THING HE'S A HUMAN BEING! THIRD OF ALL WHAT DO YOU MEAN RUN YOUR HOUSE AND TERRIFY YOUR FAMILY? FOURTH OF ALL I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!'' After saying that he ran up to his room, slammed the door, and flung himself on his bed, fuming. Remus' words echoes in his head,_ if you ever want to talk, need me, or you're bored come on over… that's what I 'm here for. Someone does care about me after all._

He had been reading for about five hours when he heard four loud pops and recognized the sound of someone apparting or disapparating. He got out of his bed and went over to the window looking down into the street. They went up to Remus' door and from what little light was shining down from the light bulb above Remus' door, he saw that it was Tonks, Mad Eye, a girl with red hair, and a boy with messy black hair. His eyes stopped on the boy. He had the exact same type of hair Harry had. It was jet black and messy and even stuck up in the back same as his did. He didn't have any more time to look at him because Remus opened the door and they went in.

Harry went back to his bed, lay back down, and pulled the book toward him, though his mind was still focused on the boy. Why did he the same hair as he had? _It could be a coincidence. Plenty of people have messy hair. Maybe he juts doesn't like to brush it. _He pushed these thoughts aside and started to read. He managed to read for about an hour before he fell into a troubled sleep.

**_He was looking through the veil, screaming Sirius' name. All he could see was darkness. He saw something move. It was coming toward him. When it got closer he saw it was Sirius but not the Sirius he remembered. He was pale as a ghost and a thin trail of blood running down his face. Harry tried to run but couldn't move. Sirius came as close as possible without actually coming out of the veil. Harry could feel his breath on his face. YOU KILLED ME!!! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!! YOU'RE THE REASON I'M DEAD!! YOU KILLED ME!!! Harry was shaking his head saying no under his breath getting louder each time. NO!!!!_**

"NO!" he yelled, as he became dimly aware of someone shaking him. He sat straight up in bed and came face to face with a concerned Remus. Harry was breathing hard and was drenched in sweat. He looked wildly around his room trying to figure out what happened. As he realized that it was just a dream his breathing slowed down and he started to relax. "Remus, why are you here? When did you get here?" he asked.

"My bedroom is right across from yours and since we both had the window open I heard you yelling and decided to come and see what was wrong," he said concern showing in his eyes. Harry nodded numbly holding back tears. "Come on, get dressed and come over to my house," he said offering a hand to help him get entangled from the covers. Harry left the shirt he had on and pulled on a pair of pants and was about to leave his room but Remus motioned him over to the window. When he looked out he saw a bridge connecting his room to Remus'.

Harry cautiously stepped out of his window and onto the bridge closely followed by Remus, Remus nudged him in the back to get him moving. It only took about a minute to get across and Harry found himself in a medium sized bedroom. Remus stepped in front of him and motioned for him to follow. Remus led him down a flight of stairs into the living room where Tonks, Mad Eye, the boy and girl that Harry didn't know, but had saw, were sitting.

The girl had long red hair and bright green eyes. _Weird, her eyes are just like mine. _The girl gave him a nervous smile. He returned the favor. Remus motioned him into a chair while he went to make tea. No one was talking, which Harry thought was weird and the boy and girl were looking at him and he sifted, uncomfortable.

Remus came back in with the tea on a tray, gave one to everyone and sat down. "Harry, you're probably wondering who these people are. This is Kirsten," he said motioning to the girl, "and this is Dustin," he said motioning to the boy. Harry nodded at them. "They just joined the Order, though that's not why they're here tonight. The reason they are here is you. Harry, I don't really know how to say this, since I can barely believe it myself, but Kirsten and Dustin are your older brother and sister."

Harry stared at Remus. He looked over at Kirsten and Dustin then back at Remus. "I'm sure your wondering how they are your brother and sister, so if you'll just be patient I'll explain everything. When Voldemort came to your house your parents were getting ready to go to one of your mother's friends. Kirsten and Dustin were already there having gone just a few minutes before. You weren't ready to leave yet and since Kirsten and Dustin were ready your mother's friend, Amanda, took then on ahead. Not long after she left Voldemort came and killed your parents and then tried to kill you. When you and your parents didn't come Amanda went to check to see what was wrong and found Lily and James dead. Since your mother's body was shielding you from view she didn't see that you were alive and left. When she got back home she got Dustin and Amanda ready and went into hiding, not knowing at the moment that Voldemort was gone and wouldn't be coming after her. We all thought she and Kirsten and Dustin were dead. When aurors got to the house it was torn apart. It looked like Death Eaters had attacked it. After they had left some of them came and ransacked the house looking for any clue of where they had gone. As it turns out they had went to America where they went into hiding. We didn't know at the time and assumed that Death Eaters had killed them. That's why no one told you. We figured that you were better off not knowing. Amanda heard that Voldemort had gone about a year after she had been in America but couldn't bear to come back. She didn't want to and didn't see any reason to. Since Voldemort didn't really do any attacks in America you're not famous over there so Amanda didn't know that you were alive. But about two weeks ago the news of Voldemort's return had spread over there and the story about you. So Amanda wrote to Professor Dumbledore and he arranged it so that they could come over here. Amanda didn't come tonight since Kirsten and Dustin wanted to see you on by them selves first. Harry, I know this came as a shock but do you have any questions?" Remus finished.

Before Harry could say anything Kirsten said, "Remus, you left out one detail. You forgot to say that we're twins."

"I knew there was something that I was forgetting. Yes, and they are twins as you just heard. Do have any questions?" Remus repeated.

There was a million questions running through his head but he finally settled on, "How old are you?"

"We just turned eighteen," Dustin replied, to which Harry nodded.

"Harry, I know you've probably have a ton more questions but I think you should get to bed. We can talk more in the morning," Remus said.

Harry nodded, told everyone goodnight, and followed Remus up the stairs into a room. Sitting on the bedside table was a potion that Harry recognized as a Dreamless Sleep potion. He lay down on the bed, took the potion, and fell into a deep sleep.

**Author's Note: So sorry for the delay. The site wouldn't accept the chapter and I had to find a beta reader and then wait for them to get back to me. So sorry for the delay again and next update will not take almost a month. Thanks you so much for the reviews I got more than I expected and please do it again.**


	3. Kirsten and Dustin

**Chapter Three: Kirsten and Dustin**

Harry didn't wake up till noon the next day, glad that he had finally had a peaceful sleep. At first he was confused as to why he was in Remus' house but then last night's events came back to him. He had an older brother and sister. He couldn't believe it. He got out of bed and went downstairs, having fallen asleep in his clothes. When he got downstairs Remus, Dustin, Kirsten, and a woman that he didn't recognize were sitting around talking. Seeing that Harry was awake, Remus went into the kitchen and brought back some food for Harry.

After he finished eating he turned to Dustin and Kirsten and said, "What do you do for a living?"

"I work for the ministry and Kirsten doesn't have a job at the moment," Dustin said.

Harry nodded and said, "What do you do in the Order?" hoping to get an answer but not really expecting one.

"Well, right now we're just considered to be part of the guard protecting you and sometimes little stuff for Dumbledore," Kirsten said.

The questioning continued for a while and Harry found out that Kirsten had a boyfriend, that Dustin had been the trouble maker at his school just like their dad had been and if anyone asked him why he did it he would say, "Just carrying on the family tradition," and that they both loved a lot of Muggle candy and food among other things.

"That's enough about us. We want to hear all about you," Kirsten said smiling.

Harry took a deep breath and gave a very short explanation of what his life was like before he went to Hogwarts and then told them all about Hogwarts and what he had done there. He pretty much skipped third year since most of that involved Sirius and he didn't want to think about that. The only thing he told was that Remus was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and that Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup. He told about fourth year and the Triwizard Tournament and surprised even himself by telling what happened at the third task when Kirsten asked. Fifth year took the longest. When he had to talk about Umbridge he called her "It" saying that she was too horrible to have a proper name.

Once he was finished with the school years he had to tell about his summers having left them out but they ate dinner first since it was now in the evening. Once they finished he told about his summers starting with the one after first year. After hearing that the Durlsyes had starved him they all had considered going over to the Dursleys and hexing them into next year but wanted to hear the stories and stayed. They all laughed until they were crying when he told about blowing up Aunt Marge. He spent about an hour alone describing the Quidditch World Cup. When he got to last summer he just said that he stayed at Order Headquarters and the trial.

After he was done it was eleven and he was about to go into the kitchen but an owl flew through the open window with a letter attached to its leg. He could see the Hogwart's crest on it. It flew to Harry and he untied the letter and the owl flew off. He opened the letter and it said:

**Dear Mr. Potter,**

** School will start on September 1 and the train will leave from King Cross at ****11 am****. Enclosed is a list of the books you'll need for the next school year and your O.W.L results.**

** Minerva McGonagall**

** Deputy Headmistress**

Harry pulled out a sheet of paper that had the list of books and then pulled out the sheet with his O.W.L results on it.

** Charms: Exceeds Expectations**

** Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations**

** Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding**

** Potions: Outstanding**

** Divination: Dreadful**

** Astronomy: Poor**

** Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding**

** Herbology: Exceeds Expectations**

** History of Magic: Poor **

** I know that Remus Lupin is moving in across the street from your relatives and he will be teaching DADA this year and will tell you now what classes you will be taking and when school starts all the teachers will be there for advice.**

Harry stared at his results thinking that they might have made a mistake and sent him someone else's. There was no way he could have got and Outstanding in Potions. Three Outstandings, 3 Exceeds Expectations, 2 Poors, and 1 Dreadful. Harry looked over it again and realized that he had gotten all the grades he needed to be an Auror.

"What do you have there?" Dustin asked.

"My O.W.L results," Harry said still dazed at his scores.

"O.W.L results let me see!!!" Kirsten said excited.

Harry numbly handed them over to her and sat down in a chair. He had got 6 O.W.Ls. _I wonder how many Hermione got. Probably the highest you can. Ron's are probably are about the same as mine._ Kirsten giving him a hug brought him out of his thoughts. She pulled back and said, "Harry, you did wonderful!!! 6 out of 9 are really good!! You should be very proud, especially that O in Potions after what you've told us and what Amanda has told us about him," she said grinning broadly at him. Dustin was reading them and after he finished he gave them to Remus and gave Harry's shoulder a squeeze and said almost the same thing as Kirsten. Harry looked at Remus waiting for his reaction. He looked up at Harry and smiled. Harry then remembered the letter had said that Remus was going to be teaching DADA at school.

"Remus, are you really going to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Harry asked. Remus nodded and for the first time that summer he actually grinned. This time it was a real grin not because he was greeting someone. don't know about since I wasn't told that I was supposed to," he said smiling slightly.

"Yes, I will be teaching this year. It appears I am supposed to inform you about something but I have no clue what it is since I wasn't told," he said smiling slightly.

"It said you're supposed to tell me what classes I will be taking next year," he said.

"Well I guess you'll be taking Charms, Transfiguration, Potion, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures judging form your grades. There will be more classes specially designed to help in what career you chose added on. What career did you tell McGonagall?" Remus said.

"I told her I wanted to be an Auror," Harry said.

"Auror huh? Well that's a difficult career path but if anyone can become an Auror it's you. You've already proven that you do well in situations where you have very little time to come up with a plan and you have no choice but to react fast and efficiently or pretty much die. So there'll probably be someone to come up to the school every week or so, or at least that's how they did it when I went," he said.

"I can't believe I got an Outstanding in Potions. I was pretty sure I had got Outstanding in DADA but not Potions. That was the last I expected. I was thinking I would get Acceptable I would have been ecstatic with Exceeds Expectations but…" he trailed off.

"Harry, don't say another word about it. You got it and that's all that matters so now you can become an Auror, just like you wanted," Kirsten said.

Harry nodded, turning to Remus said, "Can I write a letter to Ron and Hermione saying how I did?"

At Remus' affirmative nod he went to his room and got some parchment out his trunk that Remus had brought over earlier. Harry was going to be staying with Remus for the rest of the summer for which he was very happy.

**Dear Ron and Hermione,**

** I hope you're having a good summer. Mine is actually starting to turn for the better. I wish I could tell you but I can't in case it gets intercepted. I got my O.W.L results to day and here's what I got: Transfiguration: Exceeds Exception, Potions: Outstanding (can you believe it!!), Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding, Herbology: Exceeds Expectation, History of Magic: Poor, Astronomy: Poor, Divination: Dreadful, DADA: Outstanding. How did you do?? I can't believe my scores!!** **I only failed three and now I have the grades I need to become an Auror!! Hope your ok and are having a good time.**

** Harry**

Harry read it and let Remus read it to make sure that it was all right before he sent it with Remus' owl saying that Hedwig would attract too much attention. He let the owl out the window and it flew toward The Order of the Phoenix Headquarters where Hermione, her parents, and the Weasleys were staying. It was now about 1:30 in the morning and Harry was now very sleepy. They all said good night and headed upstairs to their rooms. Remus came into Harry's room after about five minutes with a Dreamless Sleep potion. Harry took the potion and fell into a deep sleep.


	4. Doubts, Dreams, and Telepathy

.

_Italics are character's thoughts__._

**Bold is dreams.**

**Chapter Four.**** Doubts, Dreams, and Telepathy**

The next day Amanda came and moved in too. Harry really liked her. He thought it was impossible for anyone not to like her. She had a crazy personality and you just knew from the first time you met her that she was someone you could trust and knew you would remember forever.

Harry found that now he wasn't in the Dursley house and had people to talk to, that it was a lot easier to forget about Sirius being dead and since he wasn't having nightmares anymore, one of the adults made sure he took a sleeping potion every night. Though this hadn't always proved successful. One night he woke up screaming, even though he had taken a potion before he went to sleep, and after reassuring everyone that he was all right and they left his room, he cried for about thirty minutes and then took the potion Remus had left for him. Even though he found that the pain was diminishing somewhat and suicide wasn't as much as much as an option as it had been, little things brought back memories of Sirius. He wasn't sure if he could ever fly again without thinking of Sirius.

He was starting to find himself unwilling to get close to Kirsten and Dustin. At first he wasn't aware that he was doing it. The first day that they had been there he had been wiling to learn anything about them and glad to know that someone would travel across the sea just to see him, but now he found he was having doubts. He was making up excuses to stay in his room and not talk to them. At first they had thought that it was Sirius' death and he wanted to be alone but they were starting to think different. Aside from the occasional nightmare at night or during the day when he fell asleep sometimes, he appeared to be getting along fine.

Harry wasn't sure why he was making up excuses not to spend time with Kirsten and Dustin. After thinking about it for a while he just finally decided that it had something to do with his subconscious, even though he wasn't entirely sure what that meant.

A week after Harry had sent his letter to Ron and Hermione he got his reply.

**_Dear Harry,_**

**_ We both are so glad that your summer is turning out for the better. Neither of us can believe that you got an O in potions, especially Ron. Here are my results: Potions: Outstanding, Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding, Astronomy: Acceptable, Herbology: Exceeds Expectation, Arthmicacy: Exceeds Expectation, Ancient Runes: Outstanding, Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding, Charms: Outstanding, Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectation, History of Magic: Poor. 5 outstandings and I only failed one. I can't believe a failed History of Magic. At least I won't have Professor Binns anymore. Here are Ron's: Potions: Poor, Charms: Acceptable, Transfiguration: Acceptable, History of Magic: Dreadful, Herbology: Acceptable, Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding, Divanation: Dreadful, Astronomy: Poor, Care of Magical Creatures: Exceeds Expectation. He failed four out of nine, which isn't all that bad still over half. Everything's normal here but Lupin hasn't been here in a while. Dumbledore said that he was doing something for him and that he wouldn't be here for the rest of the summer. Ron and I are having a good summer and we'll be seeing you soon but we can't tell you how. _**

**_Love,_**

****

**_ Ron and Hermione_**

_When and how are they going to be seeing me soon? It's only July still. Even though now I'm not sure how good of a summer it's going to be now. No one ever tells me anything. Why not just tell me now through the letter how you are going to be seeing me soon?_

"Is that Ron and Hermione's reply?'' Kirsten asked bringing Harry out of his thoughts. He looked up startled, before nodding.

"They said they'll be seeing me soon but I don't know how and of course the letter didn't say, and since school doesn't start for over a month I have no clue how they will," Harry said though he had intended to keep it to himself.

"Well none of us are allowed to say too much in a letter in case it gets intercepted," Kirsten said hoping Harry would say something more. He didn't. He nodded and excused himself and went up to his room.

Kirsten sighed. _I wish he would tell me what's wrong. It doesn't even have to be me; he just needs to tell somebody. Maybe Remus is right. Maybe it is just Sirius. But the night we came and the next day he seemed glad that we were here and now he doesn't talk to anyone and stays up in his room for hours. I don't really think that it's Sirius' death alone. I'm sure that comes somewhere into play but he's dealing with that better now that he doesn't have a nightmare every time he goes to sleep. He seemed to be willing to talk and told us tons of things and then suddenly he just clams up and won't talk hardly ever to anyone. No, he'll talk to Remus but he won't to Dustin and me._ She was brought out of her thoughts as she heard a loud sound from Harry's room and jumped up considering running up the stairs before she realized that it was music and then the sound faded away.

 In the room Remus gave Harry, there was a boom box and an impressive CD collection. Harry had found this out and had been constantly playing the CDs seeing which he liked best. His favorite was a CD by Evanescence. He liked to play it full blast every once in a while just to annoy Amanda, who hated rock music. He especially liked "Everybody's Fool," "Going Under," "Imaginary," "Bring Me To Life," " My Immortal," and " Whisper." Remus also had a computer in that room that had Internet access and a program on it where you could download songs, video, images, and other things off it. Harry spent a lot of time on the Internet doing stuff, but mostly downloading songs and video. He had downloaded Evanescence's videos for "Bring Me to Life" and "Going Under" and watched them both like a million times a day. He came out mostly to eat.

They had all tried talking to him and figure out why all of a sudden he was so withdrawn, but it never worked. Sometimes he would talk but it wouldn't be about what was bothering him. They were reassuring their selves that it wasn't nothing to serious since he hadn't stopped eating yet.

At the moment Harry was laying on his bed staring at the ceiling thinking. He hadn't known why he suddenly decided not to talk to Kirsten and Dustin but yesterday he had figured out why. He was scared. He was scared that he would get close to them and love them and rely on them and then they would die like Sirius did. He had just really gotten close to him and starting to rely on him and then he died. He couldn't take the pain if that happened again. If that did he would commit suicide.

He got up and turned to the next song on the CD and then lay back down on the bed continuing to stare at the ceiling. It was suddenly very interesting. He thought back to the night Sirius died and tears came to his eyes. _All I ever wanted was a family who loved me. Most kids have that. All of my friends do. I had Sirius but he died. There's Remus of course but I'm not sure where I stand when it comes to him. The only reason I've been talking to him is because it's to late not to get attached. And now I have a older brother and sister who are willing to help me and flew across the ocean to see me and I'm keeping myself from them, because I don't want to get hurt. And then there's that whole stupid prophecy. Why should I get attached to anyone more than I already have? I'm most likely going to die young and at the hands of Voldemort. Why should I get close to anyone? If I do they'll be hurt when I die, and if they die before I do then I'm hurt. Maybe it would just be better for everyone if I just disappeared off into __Siberia__. Go into exile. Cut myself off from the world. No one would be in danger then because they knew me then. No one would have contact with me. That probably is the best thing. I can't tell anyone the contents of the prophecy that would be too dangerous. If Voldemort found out that anyone knew it would be his number one priority to get to them. _

Little did he know that someone was listening in on his thoughts and that person was over a thousand miles away.

Kayla sighed after hearing the teenage boy's thoughts. He was so depressed and was seriously thinking of running of and cutting himself off from the world. Kayla Marie McGonagall was sitting on her bed in her room, in her adoptive parent's house. Her mother hadn't wanted her and had given her up for adoption and Britta and Josh McGonagall had adopted her at the age of 5 from her former family when it was discovered that they were abusing her. Her parents had told all of this last year when she had turned fifteen. They had offered to look for her birth mother if she wanted to but she had told them no, that they were her only parents.

_Dang, telepathy.__ I can only hear his thoughts and we can't communicate and I don't even know who he is. He could be the next-door neighbor or he could thousands of miles away!!! I wish I could help him._

"Kayla, come down. It's time for dinner," her mum called up the stairs.

"Ok, Mum, coming," she called back down and pushed the thoughts of the mystery boy out of her head.

And, forgive me for repeating it, little did she know that someone was listening in her thoughts. It was the last person in the world she wanted listening in.

_I've got to figure out whose thoughts I was listening to. A teenage girl I know that much. And she's hearing a depressed teenage boy's thoughts. What if she's hearing Harry Potter's thoughts? If she is then it could lead me to where he is and I could finish him once and for all!!_

As he thought this, a cruel smile lit his face but it suddenly turned to a frown._ The girl is right. Stupid telepathy. I can't communicate with her. I need to communicate with her to form a plan and do the plan and prove once and for all I am more powerful than that fool Albus Dumbledore._ As he thought a smirk came to his face, fantasying about how good it will be when he finally is one up on Albus Dumbledore.

Back at the Lupin house everyone had just sat down for dinner and were eating and talking, when Harry felt an odd feeling come over him. _Voldemort__.__ He's confused and frustrated about something. Well I guess I'm okay. As long as he's not happy, I'm fine. _Remus addressing him brought Harry of his thoughts. He answered the question and then started eating again. Everyone finished eating and then went into the living room and Harry and Remus started playing chess while Kirsten and Dustin talked.

Remus beat Harry and they all stayed down for a while doing little things before heading up to bed. Harry changed and took the sleeping potion even though it didn't stop Harry from a dream that night. And the weirdest thing was that it wasn't about Sirius.

** He was in a house he didn't recognize and there was a girl that looked about his age sleeping in a bed that had pink bed covers on it. Harry looked around. Almost the whole room was a pale pink. Where it wasn't pink it was a pale baby blue. The bed was up against the wall. On the right side of the room there were windows with a comfy pale baby blue window sit. There was a nightstand beside the bed that had pictures of a brown-headed girl with a couple. The woman had bright blonde hair and the man had red hair. Harry went over to the window and looked out at the night sky. It was a clear night with tons of stars in the sky. Harry looked down the street looking for any sign of something strange. There had to be a reason he was here and he was betting that it was Voldemort.**

** He was about to turn away form the window but movement caught his eye. He knew it. There were at least a dozen Death Eaters walking toward the house. Harry went over to the girl and tried to wake her up but his hands went right through her. **

** Harry ran out of the room, into the hallway and into another room to find the couple that was in picture sleeping soundly. He was relieved slightly when he saw that there were two wands laying on the nightstand beside the bed. At least they had somewhat of a chance, though it was very slim.**

** "Hello? Can you hear me?" he yelled but didn't get a response out of the couple. He ran over to window and looked out. The Death Eaters were still down at the other end of the street but they were getting closer. He looked around the room frantically. Maybe he could hit something or break something and wake them up. **

** He saw a shoe in the floor and through at the woman. It hit her and woke her up immediately.**

** _I hope my hands don't go through it, _Harry thought as he went for the shoe. Fortunately his hands didn't go through it and he threw it at the woman, successfully hitting her. **

**"What in the world?" she said sitting up looking to see who had thrown the shoe.**

** "What's wrong?" said the man, whom Harry assumed was her husband, having woken up by his wife's sudden movement.**

** "Someone threw a shoe at me but I don't see anybody," she said as she took her wand off the nightstand. She muttered something that Harry didn't understand. Nothing happened. Harry went over to the window and looked out again. They were only about three houses away. He moved the curtains to get their attention. It worked. The man and woman both sent a stunning curse in that direction but both just passed through Harry. The man slowly got out of bed and went over to the window closely followed by his wife. They both gasped as they saw the Death Eaters. The woman ran out of them room and Harry could hear her waking up the girl. She yelled softly for the man and he left the room and Harry followed.**

** They went down the hallway and into a room with a fireplace. Harry heard the door being blown off its hinges. The man threw what Harry recognized as floo powder in the fire and the daughter went first into it shouting "Three Broomsticks" and was gone. The mother went next and then the father went just as a Death Eater came in the room and sent a curse at the fireplace but he was already out of site.**

** Everything was fading. The dream was ending. Harry slept on now in a world of black.**

****

Remus, Kirsten, and Dusting sighed as Harry finally stopped thrashing and screaming. He had been for the past hour and even though they had forced sleeping potions down his throat, it hadn't helped. Remus transfigured some things in the room into big armchairs for them to curl up in and go to sleep in, in case this happened again they would be in the room. They all got settled and fell asleep.

When Harry woke up the next morning, Remus told Harry about what happened last night Harry didn't remember anything about the dream.


	5. Surprises

Kayla was sitting in between her parents on her grandmother's, Minerva McGonagall, couch. After they had flooed to The Three Broomsticks, they then flooed to Minerva's. They had told her what happened and they were trying to figure out whom or what had threw the shoe at Britta and woke her up. They didn't know what it was but it had most likely saved their lives.

Kayla was leaning against her mother about to fall asleep. She had had trouble getting to sleep and then had got attacked by Death Eaters and to say the least she was exhausted. She was trying to stay awake to listen to the conversation but gave in to the exhaustion and fell asleep.

It was July thirtieth and everyone, except for Harry, were conversing in lowered tones and either immediately shut up or started talking loudly about something else when Harry came into the room.

He knew they were up to something but couldn't figure out what though, he pushed it aside trying to figure out why he felt like he had done something important and good but he couldn't remember doing anything like that.

He had the feeling ever since the day Remus had told him that he had some sort of nightmare and had been screaming and thrashing but Harry didn't remember having a dream, which confused him to him to no end. He also had Voldemort on his mind a lot these past few days though he wasn't too worried about it since none of the feelings were happy, which meant that he hadn't succeeded at anything; all of the feelings were of frustration and he hoped they stayed that way.

He still hadn't told Remus why he was being so withdrawn having made the mistake of telling him that it wasn't just Sirius's death that there were other things to. He had asked him several times but Harry had stayed quiet, made an excuse to leave the room, or changed the subject. He had considered telling him several times but had changed his mind in the end. Keeping it secret was starting to get hard and Remus had started guessing what was wrong. Harry had agreed that if he guessed right he could tell him but he hadn't guessed the specific thing that was wrong. He had come close last night but not quite and Harry wasn't going to say yes until he had the complete answer as to what was wrong. He knew it was only a matter of time before he pieced together the pieces and figured it out.

Harry was standing just outside the living room door trying to hear what Remus, Kirsten, Dustin, and Amanda were talking about but they were talking to low for him to hear so he went into the kitchen to get a snack when he heard the doorbell ring but he didn't think much of it, assuming it was one of the Order members, and headed back up to his room. If he had stayed down there and eavesdropped he would have found out some very interesting news that would have helped lift his spirits.

**_Kayla was in a bedroom with a boom box, computer, tons of CDs, a lot of which she liked a bed and other odds and ends. She turned around as the door opened and saw a boy with jet-black hair and startling green eyes walk in and sit down on at the computer and start to eat the snack he had brought up. She moved closer to him and gasped as she saw the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. It was Harry Potter. After she got over the shock a new thought occurred to her. Why in the world am I in Harry Potter's bedroom? She was in the middle of trying to figure this out when someone else's thoughts entered her mind._**

****

**_ I hate being the boy who lived. All my problems come from me being the boy who lived. Because I defeated Voldemort when I was a baby. _**

****

**_Kayla gasped. The person's thoughts I've been hearing are Harry Potter's!! _**

****

**_ I hope Remus does figure out what's wrong soon, I think. It might be a relief that someone knew but I'm not telling him willingly. I don't want to get close to Kirsten and Dustin. They'll just die about two or three years later like Sirius did. What's the use of getting close to them? I really should make a plan about how to cut myself off from everyone. Everyone will be happier that way._**

****

**_ No, no, no!!! Come on that wouldn't make them any happier even if I don't whom you're talking about!! That would just make them sadder!! Putting yourself into exile won't help any! I've got to wake up!! Mamaw will know what to do! Harry goes to Hogwarts, she teaches there. There had to be something she can do. She can talk this Remus, and Kirsten and Dustin_**

****

**_The room started fading and tilting to one side and then _**she woke and felt herself still leaning against her mother. She sat bolt upright startling her parents and mamaw.

"I know who he is!" she practically yelled startling everyone even more.

"What are talking about, honey?" her dad asked.

"Harry Potter! He's the one I've been hearing in my mind!"

"Hearing in your mind? What do you mean?" her mother asked.

"Oops, sorry I forgot I didn't tell you. For the past week or so I had been hearing someone thoughts in my head. He's so depressed. He kept thinking about going into exile and cutting himself off from the world and suicide! I was so scared! I didn't what to do and I didn't know who he was even! But I know now it was Harry Potter!! We have to go wherever he's staying and talk some sense into him! Cutting himself off from everyone won't be better for them, it'll just be worse!! It won't solve anything!!" she said very fast, excited and determined.

Seeing the still confused looks on their faces she went into further explanation of how she knew and when she was finished the confused looks where gone replaced with concern.

"Mamaw, do you know where he's staying and who Remus, Kirsten, and Dustin are?" she asked.

"Yes, Remus is Remus Lupin. Do you remember your parents telling you about him?"

"Yes. I didn't even think that it could be him. Lily and James mum and dad's friends were Harry's parents, right?" she said.

"Yes, that's right. I assumed that Harry would be depressed but I figured having Remus there would help some and he wouldn't be having those thoughts," she said the last part more to herself than them.

"Why would he be depressed? What happened?"

"Sirius Black, yes Sirius Black, was Harry's godfather. He was the only father figure Harry had and the only person that was an adult that he would really talk to and get advice from. He was killed right before school ended. He doesn't have a good home life either. He lives with his muggle aunt and uncle and they hate everything magical, including Harry. The only reason he stays there is because he is safe from Voldemort there. We sent Remus in hoping that Harry wouldn't get to depressed and try to commit suicide or something drastic like that. I went to see Remus yesterday and he said Harry had seemed to be getting along with Kirsten and Dustin and then he just clamed up and wouldn't talk to them any more. Kirsten and Dustin are Harry's older brother and sister. They're twins," she explained.

"They found Kirsten and Dustin? Mum what are you talking about? Voldemort killed them the night he killed Lily and James. How can they be alive?" Britta asked confused.

"No they didn't die. They had already gone to Amanda's when Voldemort arrived at Lily and James's. Kirsten got worried when Lily and James hadn't come through after a while and went back to see what was wrong and saw James and Lily dead. Harry was behind his mother's body and was silent when she came in and she figured he was dead too. She went back to her house and flooed to one of her relatives in America and lived there, afraid to come back to the wizarding world. Death Eaters came in and searched the place right after she left. They decided to come back over here and see Harry. They're alive. We can go see them today if you want or I can take you to Headquarters and see them tomorrow," Minerva said while moving to sit beside her daughter who was on the verge of tears hearing that they were alive.

"I can't believe they're alive," Britta murmured. "We can see them today?"

"Yes, if you want to. Remus won't mind, he's used to people showing up unexpectedly," Minerva said trying to keep her calm.

"And see Harry? I know what's wrong with him, and you said that Remus was worried and so am I," Kayla said.

Minerva smiled at her granddaughter. "Yes and see Harry and tell Remus what's wrong." Kayla smiled at her and then said,

"Well come on what are you waiting for? What do you say to get to the house by floo?"

"Lupin's Lair," said Minerva.

"Can I go on?" she asked looking at her parents.

"No, let me get first and then you can come," Josh said getting up and walking over to the fireplace. He took a pinch of floo powder threw it in the flames, stepped into them, said, "Lupin's Lair," and was gone in a whoosh of flames. Kayla went next and the Minerva and Britta came after them.

When Minerva and Britta got there Josh and Lupin were talking and Kayla was standing beside Josh looking impatient. As Minerva and Britta came over they heard Kayla blurt out quickly, "I know what's wrong with Harry!" louder than she meant to and everyone turned to their eyes to her.

"You know what's wrong with him?" Remus asked.

Kayla nodded. "The reason he won't talk to Kirsten and Dustin is because he's afraid he'll get close to them and then they'll die two or three years later when he's just gotten close to them and rely on them for things like Sirius did and he doesn't wan to go through the pain again. He's also seriously thinking about going into exile and never speaking to any of you again. He thinks you'll be safer that way," she finished quietly.

Remus looked at her with an unreadable expression and then said, "How do you know this?" She then explained to him about the telepathy that seemed to work one way. After she had explained it all Remus stayed quiet for a few minutes, a thoughtful look on his face. Without a word he left the room and everyone assumed he went to Harry's room to talk to the boy.

Remus knocked on Harry's door before hearing "Come in," and entered. Harry was sitting at the computer watching a video but upon seeing the look on Remus's face turned it off and came and sat in front of him on the bed. Harry looked at him expectantly waiting for him to say something.

"Harry, I know why you won't talk to Kirsten and Dustin. You're scared you'll get hurt again. You're scared that you're going to get close to them, like you did with Sirius, and then they're going to die like Sirius did. Am I right?" he asked. He had been looking Harry in the eye when he started but Harry had turned away from him. He heard Harry sigh softly and saw him nod.

"Harry, that's not going to happen, they're not going to die. You're not going to lose them, not for a very long time. They're willing to help you if you'll let them. In fact we were considering letting you stay with them next summer if you wanted, if you didn't get a place of your own, and even if you didn't stay with them, they want to be there for you if you'll let them," he said trying to reassure the teenager.

"I know. You pieced it together quicker than I thought you would," he said.

"Well I didn't piece it together as you put it. A girl about your age told me what was wrong," he said.

"Huh? A girl about my age told you what was wrong. Hermione doesn't even know I have a brother and sister since I couldn't write that in the letter," he said, his mind jumping to the only girl he really knew around his age.

"It wasn't Hermione. It's someone you've never met before. Her name is Kayla Marie McGonagall. She is Professor McGonagall's granddaughter," he said seeing Harry open his mouth. He closed his mouth and Remus continued. "Somehow, we're not sure how, she was been able to hear your thoughts. She didn't know it was you at first, just that it was a boy and he was very depressed," he said.

Harry's mouth was open. There was no way someone would have been hearing his thoughts. As he thought this he heard someone, and judging by the way it sounded in his head it was a girl, _well someone can hear your thoughts no matter how bizarre it seems._ Harry jumped when he heard this. Remus was looking at him questionably and he said, "I heard her. She said well, someone could hear your thoughts no matter how bizarre it seems. I had never heard her before."

"Try mind talking to her. Think something and see if she responds.

Harry nodded and thought, _Umm__… Hello? Can you hear me? _

_ Harry? Is that you? You've never answered me back before when I tried to talk to you. _

_ You can hear me? I never heard you before. When Remus told I was able to hear your thoughts. _

_ I guess we both had to know that I could hear your thoughts before we could talk to each other. _

_ Yeah, I guess so. Umm Remus and I will be down in a minute. _

_ Ok. _

"We can talk in our minds. This is so bizarre. I can't believe this," he said aloud.

"I also learned something else from her. She said you were considering going into exile and leaving all of us. Said you thought we would all be safer," he said watching the teen closely. Harry looked down at the bed covers and nodded.

"Well you would be safer. Voldemort would leave you alone and come after me wherever I went and leave you alone."

"Yes, he would leave us alone, only after he's captured and tortured all of for information about where you were and left us near death or most likely killed us. Harry, going into exile doesn't work at all. It doesn't solve anything. Trust me on this. I did after your parents died. I went to Mexico, there are no witches or wizards there, and stayed there for till your third year when I came back to teach at Hogwarts. Dumbledore convinced me to. Cutting yourself off from the world doesn't help. It only makes more problems. And besides you wouldn't be able to pull it off. We've got tracking spells on you to monitor where you are in case you somehow manage not to be under the eye of someone from the Order," Remus said.

"You have tracking spells on me? That's not fair, you didn't even tell me you had done it," Harry said his temper flaring up that they had more protection on him. He could take care of himself; he didn't need tracking spells on him.

"Calm down, we didn't ask you since we figured you have said no and they were only put on this morning while you were asleep," he said seeing that Harry was angry.

"Well, I would have said no. I'm not some little defense less kid that can't take care of himself."

"I know that; it's just an extra security in case something happens, though it hopefully won't, like the third task comes up and you somehow leave Hogwarts, we can send people to get you out as quickly as possible and hopefully catch whoever got you there. There's no use in arguing against it, its already done and even we had asked you and you had said no we would've done it anyway."

Harry mumbled before getting off the bed and following Remus downstairs. He saw Kirsten, Dustin, Prof. McGonagall, a couple sitting side by side, and a girl sitting beside them that looked about his age. He assumed the girl that looked about his age was Kayla and focused his eyes on her and said, "Kayla?" She nodded and smiled at him; he returned the smile hesitantly.

_ It's ok; I only bite when I'm angry and right now I'm nervous and happy at the same time. _

_ Me too. _

_ Wanna hear a joke? _

_ Sure. _

_ Mahatma Gandhi walked barefoot everywhere. Eventually his feet became quite thick and hard. He was also a very spiritual person. Even when he was not on hunger strike, he did not eat much and became quite thin and frail. Furthermore, due to his diet, he wound up with up with very bad breath. Therefore_: _He came to be known as a " super calloused fragile mystic plagued with halitosis."_

Harry shook his head and laughed out loud at what she said before saying, "Oh that's bad, that's really bad. I've seen Mary Poppins."

"What? What was bad?" Remus asked.

Harry shook his head and said, "Never mind."

He went and sat next to Kayla the tension and nervousness gone and started talking to her in his mind. He found out that she was adopted because her mother hadn't wanted her and the Josh and Britta had adopted her when she was a baby and she had grown up with them. She would turn sixteen next month on the 12th. She went to a magic school in Australia, where she lived. She would have gone to Hogwarts but neither of her parents wanted her that far away and truthfully she didn't want to be that far away from them. They were now looking for a new house since Death Eaters had attacked their old house last night. When she said this Harry suddenly remembered the dream that Remus had been talking about, when he was screaming and thrashing. He told Remus this and then Remus and told everyone else and he was thanked countless times by Britta and Josh for saving them from them. Harry blushed at this. Everyone stayed talking till 10 and even though Harry and Kayla both said they weren't tired they were both forced to go to bed and Remus made sure Harry drank the sleeping potion and Britta did a sleeping charm on Kayla to make her sleep, the adults knowing they were going to get up early in the morning to go to Order Headquarters, though Harry and Kayla didn't. They had decided against telling Kayla afraid Harry would somehow find out before tomorrow. It was a surprise so they couldn't tell.

The next morning Harry and Kayla were woke up at eight and both were used to not getting up till at least twelve if not later.

"Why do we have to get up so early?" Harry mumbled as Remus was putting eggs on his plate before placing it in front of him.

"Because we all have to go to Headquarters and you are not staying alone," Remus said even though they weren't going to Headquarters.

"You've got tracking spells on me, it's not like I'm going to get lost. You could make it a birthday present," he said. Everyone had already wished him happy birthday earlier. Kayla had even ordered him some chocolate from Honeydukes and had it delivered overnight for his present even though he had told her that she didn't have to get him anything when she had asked what he wanted last night.

"That's not your birthday present. You're getting your present from me later on today. Now eat so we can leave," Remus said.

"You got me a birthday present? You didn't have to do that," he said.

"Yes I got one. I know I didn't have to but I wanted to and it's already bought so don't complain. You're probably the only kid who doesn't want presents on his birthday."

Harry shrugged. "I never got any from the Dursleys and I don't really expect anything. All I expect is someone saying "Happy Birthday" and I'm fine."

"Well it doesn't matter like I said before and eat!" he said a little more forcibly. Harry did as he was told and thirty minutes later everyone was in the living room waiting to leave.

"All right everyone come around here. We're going to be going by portkey so everyone place a finger on it." The portkey was a muggle newspaper. Harry was slightly apprehensive but put his finger on it anyways. Kayla felt he was nervous about it and sent a few comforting words that seemed to help some.

"All right… one… two… three…"

Harry felt the familiar tugging at his navel before he was slammed feet first onto the ground and fell down, Kayla falling on top of him. She stood up and helped him up. Before he got a good look around Remus came up in front on him and placed a blindfold quickly over his eyes.

"Hey, what are doing? Why are you blindfolding me?" he said trying to get the blindfold off.

"I've got a surprise for you and you can't see it yet," Remus replied.

"What type of surprise?" he asked.

"One that you can't know about yet," he replied as he led Harry up some steps. Harry sighed and let Remus lead him.

Remus had stopped and took the blindfold off but replaced it with his hand. Harry heard something be pushed open. Remus lead him a few steps forward before taking off his hand. Harry was confronted with darkness before the lights came on and tons of people jumped out from behind tables and each other and yelled, "SURPRISE!!" Harry stood there shocked mouth hanging open. Hermione came running toward him, Ron close behind.

Hermione threw her arms around his neck saying happy birthday in his ear. She pulled back letting Ron wish him a happy birthday. Harry still hadn't said anything and was staring around the room. He could see the rest of the Weasley family; Hermione's parents all of his fellow Gryffindor 6th years, Hagrid, Tonks, Mad Eye, Mrs. Figg, everyone from the DA except for Cho, along with everyone that had come with him.

"Harry, are you ok? You haven't said anything," Hermione said.

"You really didn't have to do this. I…I…I don't know what to say," he said.

"Well a simple thank you would be enough," Hermione said.

"Thank you," he said meaning it from the bottom of his heart.

Ron and Hermione were about to pull him over to everyone else and he told Kayla to come with them in his mind. She came over to them and Harry introduced them before Mrs. Wealsey came over wishing him Happy Birthday while hugging him. All of the other adults wished him a happy birthday or wished him a happy birthday while hugging him (Hagrid and Tonks) before he got over to his fellow Gryffindors and introduced Kayla to them. They all sat down at the table and started telling about their summers after wishing Harry a happy birthday. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione and said, "You guys won't believe my summer so far. But before I tell you about mine how was yours?"

"Well basically the same as last year. We're both staying at Headquarters. My parents are even staying there," Hermione said. "They've been a little more active than last year. You know with the attacks and all. They're very concentrated on getting people to stay out of Voldemort's inner circle and came to our side and trying to get a few already in to spy for us. Something happened yesterday though; something big. Everyone was in a meeting for almost five hours!! It was so boring staying upstairs not knowing what was going on and they had charms around it and we couldn't get the Extendable Ears into the room. We have no clue what it was but it was something huge. You didn't have any strange feelings from Voldemort yesterday did you?"

"No, I've been getting feelings from him but they've all been frustrated, irritated, and angry; none of them were happy, if they were I would have told someone because that means that he's achieved something that it is bad for us," he said. They were sitting apart from the others in some armchairs they had set up and were almost whispering.

"Ok well that's good. Then that means that the thing was most likely something for our side and they're just not sure about what do about whatever it is," Hermione said. Harry and Ron both nodded.

"Now tell us about your summer," Ron said.

Harry nodded and said, "Well you both know that I've been living with Remus instead of my aunt and uncle even though they're next door. Well I also found out I have an older brother and sister."

They both stared at him for a second before Hermione said, "An older brother and sister? What are they twins? How can you have a brother and sister?"

Harry explained about what happened and pointed out where they were.

"Wow, so the Dursleys aren't your only family after all," Ron said.

"Thankfully, though I haven't been talking to them all that much for the past week or so," he said.

"Why not?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged not wanting to talk about it. "You know Kayla the girl I brought with me? Well, we can talk to each other in our minds." Ron and Hermione's mouths both fell open at this and Hermione spluttered. He then explained all about that and when he was finished Mrs. Weasley was calling everyone up to the table to have cake.

She made Harry sit at the head of the table with Ron and Hermione on either side of him and then everyone else on either side of the table.

The frosting on the cake was done so that it looked like a snitch and said "Happy 16, Harry" in green icing. Mrs. Weasley lit the candles and started singing and everyone followed along, "Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear haaarryyy, happy birthday to you," when they finished Harry made a wish, drew in a breath and blew out all the candles at once.

Harry got the first piece of cake, vanilla, and then Ron, chocolate, then Hermione, vanilla.

"I made the cake half and half that way everyone is happy," Mrs. Weasley said. "Ginny did the icing though. She's quite the drawer.

Harry looked at Ginny who was a couple seats down from Hermione. "You did the icing? The snitch design?"

She nodded and said, "Yeah but it's not that good."

"Your right it's not that good. It's fabulous. Really Ginny it's really good. I didn't know you could draw that good. Thanks," he said.

"You're welcome," she said back as she went back to her food.

After everyone was done eating, about an hour later, Harry was ushered over to one of the armchairs while Ron and Hermione sat in one on either side of him and everyone else sat in the floor in front of him for the present opening. There was quite a few and Harry saw something that looked suspiciously like a broom.

Remus handed him the first present. It was a book on defense spells from Neville. He got several more books on defenses spells form members of the DA. He was reluctant to open Fred and George's present thinking it would explode on him but it was just samples of stuff from their joke shop. They had both thanked him millions of times for giving them the money and they said business was booming. He got a miniature model of some Norwegian Ridgeback from Charlie.

He got everyone else's presents from school and the he started getting the rest of the Weasley family's presents. Ginny had given him a painting of him and Weasley family. He gasped when he saw it. It was beautiful. It had them placed outside the burrow. She was a very talented artist and he told her this making her blush. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had given him a sweater with a Gryffindor lion on it and some home made candy. Ron gave him a Chudley Cannons poster. Bill gave him a CD player that would work at Hogwarts as Remus had told him how much had gotten into music this summer. It also had a little screen that you could pull up and watch videos. There was a CD in it that had all of Harry's favorite videos on it. It had Evanescence on it several times with the same video since he knew Harry was obsessed with the muggle rock band.

Now came the Order's presents which consisted mostly off defense stuff. Hagrid's present made Harry almost cry. He had given him a locket with a picture of Harry as a baby with parents in one side and the other side had Harry with Sirius. He had thanked Hagrid in a choked voice trying not to cry in front of everyone.

Professor McGonagall gave him a book on transfiguration. Professor Dumbledore gave him a book on advanced defense spells.

Next came Remus's, Kirsten's and Dustin's present. They had all chipped in and bought him something. The placed the long parcel in his lap and he quickly un-wrapped it and gasped at what he saw inside. Inside was the brand new Firebolt 500 with Harry Potter engraved in gold on the handle. Harry's mouth dropped open and he sat there for a second before bounding out of his chair and hugging them all tight. He thought that was all the presents left but Remus said, "Wait a minute. There's one more present left."

Harry sat back down in the chair waiting for Remus to hand him the present. He ripped the paper off. It was a large leather bound book. He opened and found it was full of pictures of himself, his parents, Sirius, and Remus. But the strange thing was he wasn't a baby in all of them. Some of them were while he was at Hogwarts. A few were even of him at Grimmauld place with Sirius. He was turning the pages when he found two letters and was about to open them but Remus stopped him. "I think you better wait until later to open them." Harry shrugged and put them back in album thanking them all. Everyone stayed for a while longer before parents starting flooing in and picking up people.

An hour later it was just he, Kayla and her parents, Hermione and her parents, Remus, Kirsten, Dustin, Prof. Dumbledore and McGonagall, and the Weasleys. Sure that was still quite a lot of people but not as many as it had been. Harry had led everyone out to the quidditch pitch so he could try out his new broom. It was even better than he could have ever imagined. As he flew around he started talking to Kirsten in his mind.

_ Know what? _

_ What? _

_ This has been the best day of my life. I wish it would never end. _

Kayla didn't say anything. She just sent the hugest smile possible from her mind to his mind as they flew around.

Dumbledore had modified the anti- muggle wards temporally so that her parents can be there.


	6. The Meeting

**Chapter Six: The Meeting**

_Yes, yes, she is connected to him. Step 1. Now I have to figure out how to tap into her mind more and figure out where she is. She's staying with him. He's staying with the werewolf, but where are they all staying? I have to find out and then attack._

"Wormtail! Come here," he barked.

The small quivering man came forward. "Yes, master?"

"Leave and don't come back until you have figured out where Harry Potter is staying. No arguments."

The small, rat looking man stared at him for a moment before leaving the room puzzled, wondering how in the world he was going to be able to find Potter. The boy was too well protected. How was he supposed to find him?

Voldemort watched as Wormtail left, a sense of accomplishment filling him. He was one step closer to getting the boy.

Harry was eating breakfast when he felt Voldemort's feeling of accomplishment. Harry's stomach knotted. _This isn't good._

_ What isn't good? _

_ Voldemort accomplished something. I can fell what he's felling. Not all the time but if it's something big I can. He just had a feeling of accomplishment, which isn't good for us. Now the question is what did he accomplish? _

_ No, that really isn't good. You better tell Remus. Maybe he'll have some idea about it. _

_ I will later. _

_ You should do it now. _

_ I don't want to. I'll tell him after breakfast. _

_ No, now. _

_ I told you I'll-_

His thought was cut off as Kayla turned to Remus and said, "Remus, Harry just had one of Voldemort's feelings. This one was a feeling of accomplishment, which can't be good. I'm telling you since he was going to tell you after breakfast, and I thought he should tell you now, and I want to annoy him."

Remus blinked. "Are you sure it was of accomplishment, Harry?" Harry nodded. Remus sighed. "Well, I don't know what he accomplished, but it won't be good for the light side that's for sure."

"What time are we leaving for Ron's?" Harry asked changing the subject.

"In an hour or so, once you've eaten and everyone gets here," Remus said.

"Everyone?" Harry asked.

"Tonks, Mad- Eye, Kingsley, McGonagall, and Snape."

"Snape? Snape is going with us to the Weasley's?" Harry exclaimed.

"Yes, Snape. We have some business to attend to that involves him, and we all agreed that the Weasley's was the best place to do it. Besides you'll be outside playing Quidditch so you won't really see him, and he's leaving before supper."

Harry just stared at him.

"Why are they all coming here instead of going onto the Weasley's, and us meeting up there?" Kayla asked.

"It's easier and we won't have to wait an hour to start the-" Remus broke off almost saying something he shouldn't. "We won't have to wait forever for everyone to get there. We'll be using a portkey since the floo network is down. If you want to bring more stuff than just your brooms bring it down here, and let me shrink it so you can carry it easily."

They both got up from the table and went upstairs after putting their dishes in the sink. They came back down ten minutes later laden down with stuff.

Remus raised his eyebrows. "We're only going for a day not a whole week. Why so much stuff?"

"Ron and Hermione both asked me to bring over some of my birthday presents," Harry said shrugging.

"Ginny and Hermione wanted me to over some things too," Kayla said.

Remus shrugged then shrank all of their stuff so that they could put it in his or her pocket. They thanked him, and then went into the living room with Kirsten, Dustin, Kayla's parents, and Professor McGonagall, who had arrived a few minutes ago.

Remus had told Kirsten and Dustin why Harry had been so withdrawn for the week the day after his birthday. They had both reassured him that nothing like that was going to happen even though they were in the Order. They weren't the fighting type. They were helping with strategy and things like that. They weren't fighting. If something came up they would fight of course, but they were very good fighters, and they wouldn't be killed. He still wasn't completely sure he believed them, but he was at least talking to them now and giving it a chance, though very reluctantly, and he was very careful not to tell them too much.

The person who he had been telling everything to was Kayla. She knew his life history and he knew hers. They had spent hours talking in their minds during the day and during the night. He had told her more about himself than he had anyone else. She knew about all the abuse he had endured from the Dursleys, she knew how he felt about Cedric and that night, and Sirius though he hadn't told much about that. Harry had bothered her about her birth mother, asking for details about her, and why didn't she want to know who it was. She had said that it didn't matter; that Britta and Josh were her parents and nothing was going to change that. That was what he was bugging about at the moment.

_ Why did you say no when they asked if you wanted to know about your birth mother? _

_ Harry, I've already told you. I already know my parents. _

_ Aren't you at least a little bit curious? _

_ No. _

_ Well, I am. I wonder who she is. I mean she could be someone you've already met! _

_ I don't think so. She gave me away, Harry. She didn't want me when I was born, why would she want to know me? _

_ I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think about something that you don't want to, it just seems to me that you would be curious about her, that's all. I didn't mean to make you sad. _

_ No, it's okay. She didn't want to have anything to do with me and I don't want to have anything to do with her. _

_ Okay. Sorry. _

_ Don't be. _

_ Can't help it, that's the way I am. Great, Snape's here. Oh joy. Why does he have to come? Why can't he leave me alone? Its summer time. I'm not supposed to see him for another two weeks. Why can't I have those two weeks? _

_ Come on, he can't be that bad. _

_ Yes, he can. He hates me. He hated my dad, and he hates me because I'm my dad's son. I'm also in Gryffindor, which is another reason to hate me. If you're in Slytherin he likes you. If you're in any other house he hates you. _

_ Why is his hair so greasy? _

_ No clue. Scientists have done tests on it but they can't figure out why it is so greasy. Since all the tests turned up negative they think its aliens or nerds. _

Kayla snorted out loud at this making the adults in the room look her way. She shook her head and said, "Something Harry said, never mind." They all turned back to what they were talking about before.

"Aliens?" she whispered aloud to Harry.

"It's possible."

She rolled her eyes at him though she was smiling. In ten minutes everyone was there that would be going, and Remus gathered them around an old soda can, they all touched it, felt the tug around their navel area before slamming feet first into the Weasley's living room. Harry and Kayla toppled over while everyone managed to keep their balance. Harry had just got up when Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George came down the stairs greeting them. Mrs. Weasley came into the room shortly after them, hugging Harry tightly and fussing over him before giving Kayla a hug. They all talked for a few minutes before Remus said, "All right all of you outside, go play Quidditch. Someone will come and get you when it's time for lunch.

"What if we don't want to play Quidditch?" Hermione asked.

"Take a book out and read. Harry and Kayla both brought a bunch of stuff so you'll have something to do if you don't want to play," Remus said.

"You need to un-shrink our stuff, Remus," Harry said.

"Fred or George will do it for you when you get outside."

Harry nodded and then headed outside with everyone else calling good byes to the all adults in the house. Once they got up to the place where they played quidditch Fred un-shrunk Harry's stuff while George un-shrunk Kayla's stuff.

"Bring enough stuff?" Fred commented to Harry.

"Ron and Hermione wanted me to bring some things."

"Did you bring the music player thingy?" Ron asked.

"It's called a CD player, Ron. Yes, I brought it along with everything else you asked me to bring."

"Can I listen to it? What bands do you have? Do you have The Weird Sisters?" he asked.

Harry shook his head and said, "No, I have muggle bands, Ron. Evanescence, Marron 5, Black Eyed Peas, Good Charlotte, stuff like that. Hermione I brought Kelly Clarkson, Stacie Orrico and Avril Lavigne for you."

Hermione grinned her thanks while Ron looked slightly confused. "Muggle bands?" he asked.

"Yes, muggle bands. Just listen to them. Especially Evanescence, that's my favorite," he said while putting the CD in the player before clamping the headphones over Ron's ears and hitting play. Ron jumped startled at the sudden burst of music now playing in his ears. Harry hit pause and asked, "Can you hear it all right? Is it too loud? Here's the volume control, to turn it up and down." Ron nodded and Harry hit the play button letting him listen to it. None of them were in the mood to play quidditch just yet, so Hermione and Harry started explaining about the muggle stuff that Harry had got for his birthday, like the CDs and the CD player. After they understood that they started talking about the Order meeting that was going on in the house, and why it was so important.

"This is the second big meeting in two weeks. The other one was the day before Harry's birthday that lasted almost five hours. Harry, have you got any more feelings from Voldemort?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, one this morning. He's accomplished something, which you know isn't good for our side," he said. Hermione paled slightly, but didn't say anything.

"Maybe they know what he accomplished and are trying to fix it. or keep whatever form happening. or having more people to assist in what is/going to happen. Or it could be about the same thing that the other one was about," Ginny suggested.

"What do you think they would be in a meeting for five hours about?" Harry asked. Everyone was silent for a minute thinking before shrugging his or her shoulders.

"Come on, let's play Quidditch now," Fred suggested. They all said their agreement before taking off into the air, leaving Hermione and Kayla on the ground talking since neither of them wanted to play. Ginny played for about half an hour before she got bored and went back down to sit with Hermione and Kayla. Harry, Ron, Fred and George played for about two hours before coming back to the ground and sitting with the girls.

"When do you think someone will come and get us for lunch? I'm starving," Ron said.

"All you ever think about is food," Ginny said. Ron rolled his eyes.

"How's the shop doing?" Harry asked Fred and George.

"Splendid. It's a hit. We've made loads of money all ready. Everyone loves it and it's all thanks to you mate," George said as Fred nodded.

"Glad it's doing so well," Harry said before turning and talking to Ron. Half an hour later Remus came and told them lunch was ready and to come on in.

"We're going to eat outside since there are so many people here," Remus said leading them back to the house.

"How many people are here?" Harry asked.

"About thirty."

Harry was surprised at first, but then remembered that they had had a meeting so there was bound to be a lot of people.

Once they got seated at the tables set up in the yard Harry looked around at all who was there. The whole Weasley family, his family, Remus, Hermione, Kayla and her family, Professor Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall, Kinglsly, Tonks, Mad- Eye, a few people he recognized as some of the people who had got him from the Dursley's the previous summer, and more people that he didn't recognize, but assumed they were members of the Order.

The food was already sat out, and Harry piled his plate with food and started to eat. All through the meal Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Kayla, Fred, and George listened to see if they could hear what the meeting was about, but all the members were talking about normal things.

"Why won't they talk about the meeting?" Ron hissed in his ear.

"Because they know we'll listen to try to find out what it was about," Harry hissed back before turning his attention back to his food.

Everyone was done and it was starting to get cloudy, and looked like a storm was about to come.

"You better go get your stuff that you left at the paddock, if you don't it'll get rained on. You're going to have to stay upstairs and stay out of our way," Molly said. They all looked up at the sky before heading back to get their stuff. Fred and George shrunk Harry and Kayla's stuff again for them before they all headed back to the house. They were herded upstairs by Molly saying someone would come and get them when they could come down, but to stay upstairs until then. Fred and George protested saying they were adults now and why did they have to stay upstairs, but she whispered something to them, and they shut up and went upstairs without further comment.

"We've got the Extendable Ears. We can try them later once the meeting gets under way, and they'll be too busy to notice the ears," Fred said.

They watched some of the music videos Harry had on the player he had got for is birthday. They waited thirty minutes before creeping down the stairs and running the Extendable Ears into the living room where they were all seated. Each of them had their own Extendable Ear and held it close to his or her ear to hear well.

"Do you think we should tell him?" Mr. Weasley said.

"No, it would get his spirits up now, and he wouldn't be as depressed, but then if something went wrong and he died, or if this turns out to be a trick or something, he would be even more crushed. We can't tell him," Remus said.

"Harry's a strong boy, I think he could handle it," Dumbledore said.

"Albus, he may be strong, but he's borderline depression right now. Yes, this would his spirits but if something goes wrong… he wouldn't be able to live through it. He means too much to Harry for him not to be even more depressed if he lost him a second time," Remus said.

Fred, George, Kayla, Hermione, Ron and Ginny all glanced at Harry. He kept his eyes straight ahead listening intently.

"Remus, maybe you are mistaken. We could tell him and make sure he knows all the possibilities of what could go wrong. He would be much happier," Dumbledore argued back.

"And what if something goes wrong? He cannot take losing him a second time, Albus! You haven't had him living with you for the past month, I have, and I'm telling you he doesn't need to know! It will only distract him during school, it's all he'll ever think about and that's not healthy! I know it would make him happier, I want to see him happy, but if something goes wrong he won't be able to get over it! What if it turns out not to be true? I'm not saying we shouldn't tell him at all, but we need to wait until we're sure that he'll be all right. That he won't die of complications any time with the next thirty- forty years! We. Can. Not. Tell. Him. Now," Remus his voice rising.

"I agree with Remus," said Mrs. Weasley.

"So do I," said Mr. Weasley.

Everyone in the room agreed that they shouldn't tell Harry until they were sure he was going to be all right except for Dumbledore. They argued for a few more minutes until finally Dumbledore said, "Fine, we won't tell Harry until we're sure that everything will be all right."

Everyone nodded and seemed to release a breath they had been holding and didn't know it. They could tell the meeting was coming to an end quickly so they pulled the Extendable Ears back to them and hurriedly, but quietly, went back upstairs to Ron's room. They had only been in there for about five minutes before Kayla's mum came in and told them the meeting was over, and that everyone would be leaving soon.

Fred and George shrunk Harry and Kayla's stuff again. None of them were speaking. They all said quite good byes before Harry and Kayla went downstairs.

Most of the people had already left. Only the Weasley's, Remus, Kayla's parents, Prof. McGonagall, and Kirsten and Dustin were still down there. Prof. McGonagall left after saying good-bye to Kayla. Mrs. Weasley gave Harry and Kayla one last hug before they portkeyed back to Remus's house. He un-shrunk Harry and Amanda's stuff and they went upstairs to put it up before coming back down and sitting in the living listening to everyone else talk, both of them thinking about what they had heard at The Burrow. They had found that if they thought normally, just to themselves, that the other person couldn't hear them, which was what they were doing, neither of them sure what to say. Harry decided to break the silence between them and thought to her.

_ What do you think they meant? They said I couldn't take losing him again. I wouldn't be able to go on.                                                                                                                      _

_ I dunno. Maybe some one that you loved came back to life. _

_ People don't come make to life even though that's what it sounds like. _

_Amanda sent a shrug through her mind._

_ Do you think someone came back to life? Like my dad or Sirius? They said the person was a he. Do you think one of them came back to life? _

_ I don't know, Harry. But it sure sounds like someone has, but Remus is right. Now this all you're going to be able to think about until you know. Why don't you ask Remus what they were talking about? _

_ No, he probably wouldn't tell me anyway. _

_ Yeah, probably. _

"Harry, Kayla come on. Dinner's ready," Kirsten called from the kitchen.

"Coming," they called back and went into the kitchen and sat down and started to eat. Neither of them said anything unless they were asked something. They didn't talk very much in their minds either, both closing the other off hearing the other's thoughts.

No one else thought that Harry and Kayla not talking was odd or suspected anything were wrong just yet. They just assumed that they were mind talking.

_I hope Harry will be all right. If his dad or Sirius is alive that would be wonderful but… what the Order said. Complications and making sure that he wasn't going to die? I hope everything's all right. _

_So, someone has come back to life. Or at least that's what she thinks. I wish I could listen in on their telepathy conversations, I could probably learn something there. I have to find this person who is alive before the Order does, and if they already have him get him to lead them here, and if possible lead Potter here. If he knows that I have that person he will come since it will be his father or his godfather. Either one of them he'll come if he knows about it._

They finished dinner and went back to the living room to talk and play games. Harry and Kayla, pretended nothing was wrong and that nothing was on their minds, talked and played with everyone. They went too bed later though neither had a peaceful night. Kayla had the same dreams Harry did and vice versa. Sirius and Harry's dad wove in and out of his dreams and he also a dream sent from Voldemort that didn't help any. He hated it when that happened. He could never tell if they were true, or if it was something that Voldemort sent just to make his life harder.

Harry and Kayla got up the next morning and went to breakfast with eyes puffy, and Remus could tell that they hadn't gotten very much sleep.

"Harry, did you not take the sleeping potion last night, or did it not work?" Remus asked.

"I didn't take it, forgot," Harry mumbled.

Remus shook his head before placing a plate in front of each of them loaded with food. They finished eating then went up to Harry's room so he could help Kayla getting caught up with her studies before she started Hogwarts in two weeks.

Britta and Josh had bought a house in the next city beside Little Whinging and were currently at their old house getting everything that hadn't been destroyed in the Death Eater attack and taking it to their new house. Kayla had offered to help, but they had said that she needed to stay there to work on her studies if she wanted to be caught up when school started.

They had already got her caught up, and Harry was now helping her study for her O.W.L's that she was taking starting later on in the week and into next week. They reviewed everything for most of the day before talking a well deserved break and just listening to music. They were about to study more but heard two people apparate in and went downstairs to see if it was Britta and Josh. It was. They turned to Kayla when she got downstairs and said, "Everything's moved in. We can move in tomorrow. We managed to get more stuff than we thought. A lot wasn't destroyed. The downstairs was burned, but our most valuable things were upstairs."

"That's great!" Kayla exclaimed hugging them.

They all sat down and talked until dinner was ready, ate dinner, talked some more, and then went to bed.

Everyone got up early to say good bye to Kayla, Britta, and Josh though Harry and Kayla could still talk in their minds, and would see each other in about two weeks, but they all wanted to say bye anyway.

Britta, Josh, and Kayla portkeyed away to their new house. Kayla looked around for about an hour before coming back into the living room and sitting with her parents enjoying their new house.


	7. The Letters

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Chapter Seven: The Letters**

Harry was looking through the album he had got for his birthday when he turned the page and two letters fell out onto the bed. He remembered getting them on his birthday and almost opening them, but Remus had said that he should open them later.

Harry picked up one of the letters off the bed. His first name was written in green with graceful writing, his middle name red with the first two and a half letters written in the same graceful writing as his first name, then the rest of his middle name and last name were written in gold with slightly untidy writing that Harry believed was probably a man's writing.

Harry stared at the front of it for a minute before breaking the seal and pulling out two pieces of parchment. He picked up the one in the graceful writing and started to read.

_Dear Harry,_

_If you're reading this it means that I'm dead, that Voldemort killed me. Sweetie, there are some things you have to know. There's a prophecy about you and that's why Voldemort was after us. I won't tell you the details of it, someone else should have by now, but it comes down to that you have to kill Voldemort or he has to kill you; be the killer or be killed. You may think this impossible but you can kill him. Not with the killing curse alone, he can't be killed with that because of the potion he took that he believes gave him immortality. There's an antidote to the potion that if it gets in his mouth ,and he swallows It, after five minutes it will take away his immortality, and then you can use the killing curse to kill him, but even with that it's possible that he might not fully die. When it comes to the final battle you have to do everything in your power, which honey, you have a lot of, to rid the magical world of him forever. I'm so sorry this has come to land on your shoulders, and I know that you will have to defeat him at a young age, but Remus, Sirius, and Peter and anyone of the Hogwarts staff will be there to help if you ask. Remember that, always remember that. Help will always be there as long as there are people to give it. James, da-da, or pong as you're calling him right now since you're not quite fifteen months old yet, had also prepared a letter similar to this one but hopefully both of us won't die at once. I'm watching you right now playing with your father and Sirius in his animagus form in the living room. Every time Sirius turns from a human to a dog you giggle your head off and the same with your father though you aren't giggling quite as loudly as you were fifteen minutes ago when this started. Now you're walking, well really tottering, toward your father's outstretched arms only about 2 feet away. Even if you do fall the floor is charmed to be soft so you won't hurt yourself. You make it to your father's arms and fall into them giggling and yelling, " di it, di it, di it!!" I'm guessing that's baby talk for "I did it." Harry, sweetie, honey, baby, my baby boy, remember this above anything else. Your father and I love you with all of our hearts and always will even if we aren't with you. Remember that, always._

_Love,_

_Your mother, Lily._

Harry had to blink away some of his tears to read the last part of the letter. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the other piece of parchment lying on his bed. He knew who that letter was from, and he had a feeling that the other letter that was un-open was most likely from Sirius. He took a deep breath and wiped away some of his tears before picking up the letter form his father, placing it front of the one from his mother, and started to read.

_Dear Harry,_

_If you're reading this that means I'm dead. I'm not going to fill this letter with information about Voldemort, and how to beat him since I know that's what your mother, or ma-ma, as you're calling her right now, wrote in hers. You're sixteen now. One more year and then you are an adult. Kinda hard to imagine that since you're only about fifteen months right now and rely on me on and your mum for everything. I wish I could see you grow up. Even though I might not have been able to see you grow up I know you have turned into a decent, kind and caring young man. I guess you're wondering how I know you're sixteen? Well, Lily and I both decided that when you turned sixteen you should be given the letters that each of us had prepared in case one, or both of us die, though we both shudder at the thought. At least you better be sixteen otherwise I'll haunt my best friends if they give this to you before then. I don't have to see you grow up, even though I want to, to know what you will most likely love, Quidditch, most defiantly. You already love it and you can name all the positions and balls in the game and you already believe that Gryffindor is the best house, especially at Quidditch, in Hogwarts. I think I've done a good job brain washing you even though your mother isn't exactly thrilled, though she thinks it the cutest thing when you say it. She's got it on tape and shows it every time someone comes over that isn't Sirius, Remus, or Peter. You're sitting on her lap snuggled up in a blanket that's been wrapped around you, sucking on a bottle while she reads to you. You've been sick with a fever and cough for the past few days and have to be held by someone, mainly me or your mother, at all times. If we try to put you in crib after you've fallen asleep, you wake up and start crying. You're doing better, the fevers gone down some but you're still coughing your head off. The point of this letter is mainly to tell you how much I love you. Harry, sweetie, honey, baby prongs (my nickname for you) my baby boy, I always have and always will love you and don't you ever forget it._

_Love,_

_Your father, James._

Harry was close to bawling at this point and got under the covers fully clothed and simply cried into his pillow while clutching the two letters in his hand bringing them close to his chest and simply cried and cried and cried. The other letter, he assumed it was from Sirius, lay forgotten on the bed.

Kayla was studying when she felt a sudden feeling of loneliness and sadness. She could tell it was one of Harry's feelings and tried to talk to him, but he ignored her. She tried several more times, but he kept ignoring her, and she finally gave up and went back to studying, though she only did it for about fifteen minutes before giving up not able to concentrate.

Harry cried solid for four hours before his tears finally slowed, and he was able to see. He eyed the un-opened letter, still laying on his bed with his first name in green, middle name in red, and last in gold in an untidy writing. He slowly reached forward and pulled the letter toward him, opened it pulling the piece of parchment out of it.

_Dear Harry,_

_If you're reading this that means I'm dead, unfortunately. Don't do anything drastic over my death like try to kill yourself or something like that, Harry. I know you may want to do that with the whole Voldemort coming back and everything, but please don't. I'm assuming I mean that much to you, at least I hope I do. I know that's how much you mean to me. If you die before I do I wouldn't be able to go on. I can't bear to live without you. I know by blood I'm not your father, and by blood you're not my son, but that's how I see you. I see you as my son. If I'm thinking about you, I think of you as my son not my godson. Harry, always remember this, even if I am dead, I still love you. I always have and always will._

_Love,_

_Your__ Godfather, Sirius_

The letter blurred before Harry's eyes, his tears obscuring his vision._ Sirius, your wish isn't going to come true. I can't stand living. I can't. It's too hard, I just can't. _

Harry turned and buried his face in the pillow muffling his cries. He couldn't go on living. He just couldn't.

Kayla had another feeling of loneliness from Harry, but there was also desperation and the loneliness was so strong that it brought tears to her eyes. She tried desperately to talk to Harry, but he had found a way so that he couldn't hear unless he wanted to, or he was completely ignoring her. She sighed frustrated and turned to ask her parents if they could go to Remus' so she could check on Harry, and find out why he wasn't answering her, but she was only half way though asking when the door was blown off its hinges and several figures in black cloaks walked in.

The man walked through the park looking at the scenery around him trying to sort everything out in his head. He decided first he ought to get some more clothes since he was wearing what looked robes and none of the other people were so he figured he needed new ones. He found a clothes shop and snuck in the back door grabbing some clothes that he thought would fit him. Once he had changed he turned his mind to more pressing matters._ All right now I have clothes and look like everyone else. Now if I could only remember my name. I don't remember anything. I don't know who I am!! How am supposed to get back to wherever I came from if I can't remember my name? I really wish I could remember what happened. I don't remember anything before waking up in the white room at the hospital, I think it was called. The only thing I remember is someone called Harry and that he needs me. But how am I supposed to get to him if I can't remember who I am???_

All of these thoughts ran through the man's head as he walked through the park just looking like an ordinary man who had gone out for a stroll, though he was really an escaped convict and didn't know it.

**Author's Note: he he. Aren't I evil??????????? Leaving you with Harry's thought's and then Kayla and know Sirius. Everyone realized it was him I was talking about right??? Hope so. Thank you so much for the reviews and don't forget to do it again!**


	8. Desperation

**Chapter Eight: Desperation and Attacks**

Harry wiped at his eyes, his mind made up. He stood up, lifted the mattress off the box spring, and took out the knife he had stored there. He examined it, looking to see if the edge was still sharp enough. He gently touched the tip of it with his finger. A small pinprick of blood appeared.

His mind made up, he took the knife in his right hand, gripping it tightly, before plunging it in his left wrist.

He watched the blood pour from his wrist for a few seconds before placing the knife in his left hand, holding it clumsily he did the same thing to his right wrist.

He watched his blood leave his body for a few minutes before starting to fell dizzy. Everything started spinning, and black spots swarm in front of his eyes. Tears poured form his eyes mixing in with his blood on his wrists, t-shirt, bed, and the floor.

He was on the edge of unconsciousness when he heard Kayla's frantic voice in his head.

_ Harry!! Death Eaters and Voldemort are at my house!! Send the Order to come!!_

_ Kayla, I'm sorry. Good bye. _

With that he fell to the floor unconscious.

Kayla was puzzled and scared by what Harry's answer had been. Something didn't feel right. Something wasn't in her mind that was supposed that be. Something that she had recognized as Harry's ever presence in her mind. It was still there, but just barely.

_Oh no, please don't let him for some reason tried to commit suicide._

_Harry!! Harry, answer me!!_

She screamed it over and over in her mind while dodging spells left and right. She was scared out of her wits yet none of it showed on the outside. If you could have seen her you would have thought she was a trained Auror. On the inside her mind was in turmoil. She was trying to keep form getting hit with the killing curse, which they had just started using, while trying to get some response from Harry.

Something was wrong. The Death Eaters had stopped sending spells. Everything was silent. No one and nothing was moving. No one seemed to be breathing even. They were waiting for something though she didn't know what.

They parted into two straight single lines on either side of the room before a figure clothed in black just like the others came down in between them. Voldemort was walking straight for her and she froze, fear taking over completely.

Remus, Kirsten, Dustin, and a few of the Order members were sitting in Remus's living room discussing Sirius, codename Snuffles, when the alarms for Kayla's house went off telling them that something was wrong at the house.

Everyone except Kirsten and Dustin immediately went for the fireplace to floo to their house. This didn't work; when they got to the Kayla's house they couldn't through, someone had put a charm on the fireplace so that they couldn't get through.

They all came back into Remus's house explaining hurriedly what happened before leaving the house and Privet Drive to apparate outside the wards surrounding Kayla, Britta, and Josh's house.

Kirsten went upstairs to Harry's room to tell him what happened, and ask if he had heard anything from Kayla lately.

She knocked on the door two times, and asked if she could come in. When she didn't get an answer, she knocked louder and asked louder. When she still didn't get an answer she tried the door to find it locked. She unlocked the door with magic and pushed in open and stared in horror at what she saw. She just stared for a few seconds, but then got over her shock and let out a blood-curling scream.

They arrived just at the boundaries of the anti-appariation wards and rushed through them since they were charmed to recognize them. If anyone else tried this they were supposed to be knocked cold and whoever was in the house, and back at the Remus Lupin's house, would be informed at what had happened.

They had just reached the door when they heard a blood curling scream come from the house and hurried their speed, scared at what they would find in the house.

Kayla watched fearfully as he walked toward her. Her mind froze. He came closer and closer to her until finally she could hear him breath through his mask.

"So, Kayla Dursley McGonagall we meet again. I bet you didn't know that your birth mother is Petunia Dursley, Harry Potter's, whom you share a bond with, aunt. Tell me where Harry Potter is staying. I know he is no longer with his relatives, I believe you said he was staying with Remus Lupin. If that is true where the werewolf's house is and how do I get into it?" he asked her in a soft whisper that held an unsaid threat in it.

Kayla was trying to process everything that had just happened. Voldemort was in front of her, Harry wasn't in her mind like he was supposed to be, she didn't know if her parents were alive, and did Voldemort just say that Harry's aunt was her birth mother?

She wasn't ready for the light speeding toward her and the pain that followed. All she knew was pain. She was screaming, twisting in agony. It felt like an eternity, but in reality only a few seconds before the curse was lifted, and she could breathe again.

She found herself being forced to stand up and Voldemort said in his soft silky whisper, "If you don't answer me you'll get that again except a lot longer this time. How do I get past the wards at Remus-"

"Hello, Tom, we meet again," Albus Dumbledore said from the door way and once again everything was silent for a good minute while Albus Dumbledore, the greatest sorcerer in the world, headmaster of Hogwarts, Order of Merlin First Class, the only one Voldemort ever feared and Tom Riddle, Voldemort the most feared wizard in the wizarding world sized each other up trying to figure out the other's weakness.

Voldemort finally spoke, "Dumbledore, what an unpleasant surprise. This will only let me kill you earlier and show the wizarding world what you really are; a mudblood loving fool who met his downfall at the hands of Voldemort, the greatest wizard in the world."

"We shall see, we shall see," was all Dumbledore said, a fire blazing his eyes that no one had seen before.

"_Avada__ Kedavra," _Voldemort said.

The green light went zooming toward the old, but strong, wizard and hit him squarely in the chest. Dumbledore fell to the floor unmoving while everyone else watched in on amazement.

"You see," Voldemort said in barely in a whisper, "Albus Dumbledore has died at my hands by the killing curse. Your leader isn't as invincible as you thought."

The members of the Order were focused intently on Dumbledore's unmoving body. They all glanced at Voldemort and around the room suddenly realizing how hopeless the situation was. They were outnumbered four to one and Dumbledore, their strongest link, was no longer here. Remus was the only one who kept his eyes on Dumbledore, and saw the old man's chest rise slightly at first, but moving in and out more regularly and after ten minutes, of which Voldemort had been talking of his supposed triumph, Dumbledore's eyes flickered open and the old man looked around getting his bearings before sitting up slowly, surprising everyone into silence for the third time that night.

Voldemort looked at the man his eyes wide and disbelieving.

"Well, Tom, it looks like your curse has failed," he said calmly, though there was a fire worse than before blazing in his eyes.

Voldemort seemed to realize that he wasn't going to win and suddenly apparated away and all his Death Eaters following before anyone could understand what had happened.

Kayla looked around bewildered and said, "You need to make sure Harry is all right. Something is wrong; I can sense it. I can't feel him in my mind like I usually can." With that said she fell to the floor in a dead faint.

Everyone looked bewildered at her, at each other, and finally at the old wizard standing in front on them.

Dustin ran upstairs when he heard Kirsten scream and stared shocked at his younger brother on the floor, blood pouring from his wrists. He stood there shocked before instinct took over and he rushed into the room, scooped Harry up in his arms before running downstairs and flooing to Saint Mungos, Kirsten right behind him.

**Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews!!!!!!!!!! Reviews motivate me to update. So will Harry survive or will I make him die???**

**NEXT CHAPTER: We find out why Dumbledore survived the killing curse and Harry's condition. You can tell me why you think Dumbledore survived, but I promise you won't get it right.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	9. Crazy Twists

**Chapter Nine: Crazy Twists******

Severus Snape was sitting beside the sleeping Kayla. Her foster parents had left him there knowing that he was just as worried as they were. Also he wanted to spend sometime with his daughter even if she was asleep.

He stared at her sleeping form, thinking that he should have tried harder to find her once Petunia had decided to give her up because of Vernon. He had to admit that the woman was smart.

Petunia had gone into labor at home while Vernon was at work and had called one of her friends to help deliver the baby at the house. Petunia had held Kayla and talked to her only thirty minutes before Petunia's friend took her to the orphanage that Petunia had called in advance about their policy for taking in babies. After Kayla had been dropped off Petunia's friend, Sarah went to a different orphanage to pick up the baby boy that Petunia had decided to adopt once she had had her baby. The baby boy didn't have a name and Petunia decided to name him Dudley. To this day Vernon Dursley didn't know that who he thought as a son wasn't by blood, or that his wife had cheated on him and got pregnant.

Snape looked at his daughter for a few more minutes before saying to his sleeping child, "I'm so sorry. You'll never know how sorry I am. I should have looked harder for you. I wish you could know the truth, but you can't because if you do the whole wizarding world could collapse," he said the last more to himself than to the person lying on the bed beside him. He cast one last look at his daughter whispered, "I love you," before leaving the room.

Kayla opened her eyes and blinked confusedly. _Why was Snape sorry? Why should he have looked_ _harder and did he say I love you before he left?_

Harry blinked dazedly, his eyes not used to the solid white color of the room. He rubbed his eyes noticing the bandages wrapped around his wrists and everything came flooding back. He looked around for his glasses and managed to make them out on the nightstand beside his bed. He put them on and looked around the room. Kirsten and Dustin were asleep in chairs that were beside his hospital bed. He didn't feel like waking them up and leaned back against the pillows and started fiddling with the bandages on his wrist, staring off into space.

Harry felt someone gently pull his hand away from his bandages that he had been fiddling with, bringing out of his stupor.

He looked at the person that had pulled his hand away. She had a kind face and a gentle smile. Her hair was brown and was down in a plait that was tied up in a bun at the back of her head. Her tag said Healer Tabitha. She smiled at him before letting his hand go and went to wake Dustin and Kirsten up.

Once she told them he was awake they both woke up immediately and sat down on the bed on either side of him.

Harry leaned back into the pillows placing his hands under the covers so that they wouldn't have access to his wrists though this didn't work.

"Harry, take your hands out from under the covers. I need to change your bandages and see how your wrists are healing," Healer Tabitha said.

Harry reluctantly took his hands out from under the covers as Healer Tabitha sat down in front of Kirsten in order to be closer to Harry. She removed the bandage from his right wrist and Harry inspected the damage he had done.

There was a single long read mark that he could tell was deep. The skin around it was raw and red and very tender, which proved to be very true when Healer Tabitha accidentally bumped it reaching for something she had laid on the other side of him. Harry let out a cry of pain, the first sound he had made since he had woke besides the occasional sigh. Healer Tabitha put some yellow stuff on his wrist that stung before putting a new change of bandages on his wrists. She smiled at the three of them before leaving.

Harry again leaned into the pillows and put his hands under the cover, wishing Kirsten and Dusting would go away. He wanted to be alone.

There was an awkward silence before Kirsten asked in barely above a whisper, "Why?"

Harry turned his face to her and looked her in the eyes, his eyes filled with pain before shaking his head, lying down in the bed, and pulling the covers over his head. He felt someone pulling at them and he held them as tight as he could though that wasn't very with his sore wrists. Dustin gave the blankets one good hard tug and they came free from Harry's hands.

Harry looked at him for a second before turning over on his stomach. He slipped his hands under the pillows before lying his head down in front of his hands on the pillows. The underside of the pillows felt good on his wrists. The stuff Healer Tabitha had put on had stung and the coolness from the pillows seemed to be going through the bandages.

With his head buried in the top pillow he started to cry.

The inner circle of The Order of the Phoenix was gathered in Remus Lupin's living room asking their head how he had managed to survive the killing curse. He hadn't been breathing, they had looked, and the next second he was up contradicting Voldemort. He had said he would tell them once everyone was there so he wouldn't be forced to tell the story twice.

Seeing everyone was there he stood up in front of the assembled group and started speaking, "As all of you know I defeated Grindelwald and in preparation for this, for I knew in advance, I studied extensively on defense spells and the like. I was looking through a potion book that I had accidentally checked out and figured there couldn't be any harm by looking through it. In it I found a potion called "The Ghost Potion." It is a very complicated potion containing ingredients that can only be found in some of the most remote places in the world and some of the most dangerous. I will not go into to detail on them since Severus would be the only one to really understand how rare some of them are. The potion would, when brewed correctly, would ensure that if that whoever drank it, if hit by the killing curse, would survive. But like always there was a catch. Yes, the drinker would survive the curse, but would be a ghost. The drinker would still have the appearance of a human, but wouldn't be able to go through solid things and wouldn't be able to taste food like humans do. The drinker appears to be alive, but is not really. The first time the person is hit with the killing curse the drinker becomes a ghost and any other time the drinker gets hit with the curse the drinker will appear dead, but is merely knocked out and will wake up in a few minutes. That is how I survived," he finished and sat down looking at the shocked expressions on their faces.

The man had managed to find a job in a department store at the outskirts of Little Whinging, Surrey which was how he was getting money to buy food and make sure he would be able to pay the rent on his apartment when the first of the month rolled around.

He still had no clue who he was and his cover name was Harry Mooney Remus. He had decided on that since he knew that Harry was some part of his life and then the names Mooney and Remus had came to his mind the day before he had got the job at the department store, though he had a feeling that Mooney and Remus were the same person for some reason.

His story was that he and his wife had divorced, and he had moved if anyone asked though not many did.

He was just a cashier but they paid higher than the average part time job since they only accepted ten new people each year, and were known as one of the most expensive and respected stores in the region so they could afford to pay their employees more. They paid about twice as much as the average part time job.

Sirius had finished ringing up when he felt like he was being watched. He looked around the store, but didn't see anyone and just dismissed it as someone working with store was watching him for performance.

It was an hour or so later when he felt like he was being watched, and then this time when he looked up, he met the stony stare of a small beady eyed man and his mind supplied him with a name: Peter Pettigrew.

Suddenly everything came rushing back to him. He remembered everything. Harry, Remus, Hogwarts, the Order, Lily, James, everything. He stared in rage at the small man before him. He reached for the gun that he carried with him everywhere now since what he had believed to be a terrorist from the Middle East, though he now knew as Voldemort, for protection. Before Pettigrew could react Sirius had already shot him five times.


	10. Explanations

**Chapter 10.Explanations I**

Alarms went off and someone screamed. Sirius stared at the bleeding man on the floor and couldn't help thinking that he deserved it. Everywhere it was chaos. Everyone was trying to figure out who had shot him. It took a good five minutes before one of the store employees saw the gun that Sirius had yet to release. The store manager told him to put down the gun, which he did so willingly, not wanting to hurt any of the employees. He was then led into a back room of the store until the police could arrive.

He was seated in a hard cold metal chair while David, the store manager, leaned against the wall. Sirius stayed silent thinking. He was thinking about Remus hoping that he was all right and that his "death" hadn't pushed him over the edge. Harry then came to his mind. He hoped that Harry hadn't done anything drastic either.

His thoughts then turned to what he had done and, as the blind rage wore off, worry started to set in. What if he got sent to jail for doing this? What if Wormtail died (not that he didn't deserve it) and he was convicted of murder- again? _I'm in the muggle world. No one's recognized me yet for who I really am, maybe they still won't. Maybe I can plead insanity and get off._ He didn't have to think much longer when he heard the door open. He turned around in his seat to find, much to his surprise, Kingsley standing in the doorway.

He turned to David and said, "Is this the man seen with the gun?" David nodded sadly.

"I'm afraid I have to take you in," Kingsley said. He came forward and placed handcuffs on him while reading him his rights.

He led him out to a waiting police car and put him in back before getting in on the passenger side in the front. He nodded at the woman at the wheel, who Sirius recognized as Tonks, and she started the car and they drove off.

Everyone stared in silence at the old man before him or her trying to take in what he had just said.

Remus was the first to find his voice and said, "So you brewed the potion, drank it, and then when Grindlewald hit with the killing curse you became a ghost with a human appearance?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said.

"And you've been like this for what, over fifty years?" Remus asked.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Can you die at all?" Alastor asked.

"Yes. Eventually the potion will wear off and weaken, but even then I will have to die of natural causes. I am afraid to say that time is approaching. The potion will wear completely off in probably a year and half, two years at the most," he said.

Everyone was again silent trying to process what he or she had heard.

Kayla coming downstairs, breathless saying, "Harry, Dustin, and Kirsten aren't here," broke the silence. "I've searched the whole house and they're not here! And there's blood on the floor in Harry's room!"

Kirsten and Dustin were still on either side of Harry. They had tried to get him to talk, but had no success. The nurse had told them this was common after someone had tried to commit suicide and they shouldn't be too worried. She had said that most patients started talking again about a week or two later. This had done little to reassure them and both were still worried for him.

Harry was currently sleeping; one of the Healers having given him something that would help his wrists and had made him drowsy in the process.

Kirsten suddenly looked up from where she had laid her head on the bed and said, "We haven't gone back to tell the others what happened. We didn't leave a note in our haste and haven't been back since."

Dustin looked at her and sighed. Kirsten said, "I'll do it. You stay with Harry," and left the room heading for the flooing section of the hospital.

Sirius was seated across from Kingsley and Tonks. They were back at the police station in a private room that was sound proof.

Tonks turned to him and said, "Sirius? Is it you? Are you really here and we're not imagining things?"

Sirius nodded and said, "Yes, it's me. Are Harry and Remus okay? I mean, you know, neither one of them has done anything drastic have they?"

Kingsley shook his head and said, "No, Remus looked like he was there for a while, but we managed to get him through that, and he bought a house next to Harry's aunt and uncle. Harry is living with Remus and Harry hasn't done anything either to my knowledge. If he has we haven't heard anything about it. We thought Harry was going to try to kill himself those first couple of weeks he was with Remus, but he seems to be doing better."

Sirius sighed relieved. At least Harry was safe.

"What happened? Were you stunned and just fell through that veil thingy? What happened Sirius? Explain and we'll answer any more questions you have. After this is done we're both going to insist that you be given a proper trial to try to get you free so Harry can live with you," Tonks said.

Sirius felt a rush of gratitude toward the people in front of him that showed in his eyes. He smiled thinking of finally being able to offer Harry a home no matter how short of a time it was. He realized suddenly that it was only a week until Hogwarts started back.

He pushed these thoughts aside and started to explain, "Bellatrix Lestrange sent the stunning curse at me, and I fell through the veil. I heard Harry screaming for me, but I couldn't move, I tried to believe me, but couldn't get to him, or give any kind sign that I was alive. It confuses me now that I think about it. I shouldn't have been able to hear him screaming, I was stunned, but then again no one knows a lot about the veil so maybe you can hear things even you're stunned, and don't get knocked unconscious immediately or something. It's all very confusing. Everything went black after I heard him screaming. I don't know what happened, but when I came to I found that the stunning spell had weakened, and with some struggling I was able to break the spell and able to walk. I could see a small opening up ahead and walked toward it. It took a long time to reach it, but I did and stepped out. I didn't remember who I was, or where I was. One of the few things I knew was that for some reason I needed to disguise myself somehow. I remembered that I could be a dog and transformed and left the Ministry. I walked around in my dog form for a while until I found a good place to apparate. I thankfully remembered how to do that. I went, I think, to Greenland and stole some clothed from a store. I remembered some appearance altering spells and did those to change my hair color to dark brown instead of black and some other things. Like I said before I didn't remember who I was, or anything about myself. I remembered someone names; Harry and Remus and Moony.I thought Remus and Moony were the same people for some unknown reason. I told everyone that I had been recently divorced and had moved away. The name I had come up with was Harry Moony Remus. I found a job at a department store, the one you arrested me at, near Little Whinging, one of the few other things I remembered. Wormtail came into the store and everything came back. I remembered everything; him betraying Lily and James, Harry, Remus, everything. I had been carrying a gun with me, a lot of the muggles are because of the "terroist group" and I believed the same thing. It was the only thing I had to use as a weapon and I shot him. I was blinded by fury. I could only see him and what he did and what he deserved and I did it. Is he dead?"

"No, the doctors think he'll live so you won't be charged with murder. But if things go as planned, and we get you free, you won't have to worry about Pettigrew since he will get the Dementor's Kiss," Tonks said.

"How did you know it was me? I still have the appearance altering spells on," Sirius said.

"I can see through them," Tonks replied.

"So now we go to the Ministry? Won't someone think it suspicious, or something?" Sirius asked.

"No, the head officer here knows about us and no one argues with her so we'll be fine," Kingsley said.

"When can I see Harry?"

"Not now. We want to wait until we've got you declared innocent," Tonks said.

Kirsten walked out of the fireplace and sighed hearing the voices in the house yelling for her, Harry, and Dustin.

"I'm down here!" she called out.

Immediately everyone ran back into the living room and started bombarding her with questions until Dumbledore quieted everyone down and asked, "Where are Harry and Dustin and why is there blood on the floor in Harry's room?

"Harry and Dustin are at St. Mungo's because Harry tried to commit suicide," she said stunning everyone into silence.

"We got him there in time so that they were able to stop the bleeding and he is in no danger of dying. He's been asleep most of the time because of the medicine they're giving him to help his wrists heal. He isn't talking at all and will hardly look at us. The nurse said that was common and that he should be willing to talk in a couple of weeks, that's what most patients did. I remembered that you didn't have any way to tell where we were and came back to tell you."

"Can we see him? He hasn't been answering anything I've sent him telepathically, but you said he was asleep most of the time. So can we see him?" Kayla asked.

"Yes, but not everyone at one time. The hospital won't allow it. Remus, Kayla, Britta, and Josh you can all come," Kirsten said.

They were about to leave when Kingsley, Tonks, and Sirius come out of the fireplace. They all stood up and brushed their selves off. Remus's eyes were focused on Sirius not believing who was standing in front of him.

Sirius felt Remus´s eyes on him and locked gazes with him and gave him a smile. Remus walked toward him and when he got to him he said, "Sirius? Is it really you? Are you really alive?"

Sirius nodded. "Yes, Remus, it's really me. I got out of the veil."

Remus stared at him before moving forward and embracing him. The two friends pulled apart a few minutes later smiling.

Remus looked at him and said, "Do you know about Harry?" a worried expression on his face.

"Did something happen?" Sirius asked anxiously.

Remus nodded and then slapped himself on the forehead and said, "Of course you don't anything about Harry! You came in just as Kayla, Britta, Josh, and Kirsten were about to leave."

"What happened? I asked Tonks and Kingsley at the station and they said he was alright considering," he said concerned.

"That's because they didn't know. No one knew until just a few minutes ago. He… he tried to commit suicide. I had thought he had been doing better and that he could get past your "death", but he tried to kill himself and is in St. Mungo´s though they got the bleeding to stop and there isn't any chance of him dying as long as he'll eat, but I don't think he will even consider dying now that you're alive," Remus said.

Sirius stared at him shocked at the news and after a few seconds he said, "I have to see him. I have to go to St. Mungo´s now."

Tonks had came up behind Sirius while he had been saying this and said, "I just heard about Harry and I know you want to see him, but we need to get you to the Ministry first and get you declared innocent before you go see Harry. You can't go to St. Mungo´s now, you'd be killed."

"She's right you know. I know that Harry seeing you would help, but not if you get go and get yourself hurt or something. And the whole wizarding world knows about you being an animagus so that's out of the question," Remus said.

"But I have to see Harry. He's in the hospital because he tried to kill himself. I have to see him," Sirius said.

They argued for a few more minutes, but Sirius was eventually convinced, well really he was dragged to the fireplace and forced to go to the ministry, and go to the hospital later.

Right after he left Kirsten, Kayla, Josh, Britta, and Remus went to the hospital. Kirsten led them to Harry's room, 411, and Kayla immediately went over to Harry's side and gave him a gentle hug that he didn't return. She sat down on the edge of the bed as her parents and Remus came over. Her parents gave Harry a smile and Remus gave him a gentle hug.

Kayla tried to get him to tell her why he did what he did, but he wouldn't talk and she eventually gave up. Everyone talked to him and tried to get him to talk back, but gave up eventually all waiting for Sirius to arrive, Tonks, or Kingsley to arrive to tell them about Sirius's trial.


	11. Explanations II

**Chapter Eleven: Explanations II**

Sirius was in the back seat of a car riding through the middle of a muggle town on his way to one of Kingsley's friends to floo to St. Mungo's and see Harry. He was looking at the apology the ministry had given him saying he was free and how sorry they were for imprisoning him for 12 years on false accusations. It also stated that one million galleons would be deposited into his Gringotts bank account. He put that at the bottom of the stack of papers, it was several inches high, and looked at the sheet on top, which was about becoming Harry's legal guardian. Sirius smiled at the thought. Tonks and Kingsley had prevented him from getting the Dementor's kiss immediately though Fudge had tried. They had forgotten to tell them they would be arriving with an ex-convict and had taken the Minister of Magic by surprise to say the least. Tonks and Kingsley explained what happened and after begging, threatening, and finally Dumbledore coming in they allowed Sirius to have a trial. He was questioned under Veriteserum and had been proven innocent. He had signed many papers at the ministry just to get released and then had to sign even more after stating he wanted to be Harry Potter's legal guardian and legally he had the right to be since Lily and James had stated it in their will. Even after signing all the papers he still ended up with a stack several inches high to sign and return in two weeks time.

The car stopped and Sirius got out following Tonks and Kingsley into the little cottage sitting just off the road. Tonks knocked on the door and a tall skinny woman with dark brown hair opened the door and gave Tonks a hug before inviting them in nodding at Kingsley and Sirius. She didn't scream in fright when she saw Sirius because he still had the appearance altering charms on. Tonks quickly explained to the woman what they needed, knowing that Sirius was anxious to get the hospital and would kill her if she wasted anytime with chit-chat. The woman obviously wanted Tonks to stay and Tonks promised to come back later and talk before flooing after Sirius and Kinglsey who had went ahead, Sirius no longer able to stay in the house.

Sirius and Kingsley were trying to figure out were they where when Tonks came out of the fireplace. A nurse passed by them and they asked for directions and, as they found out she was the nurse in charge of Harry while he was there. When Sirius found this out he immediately started asking questions about his condition. She told him thankfully he had only cut deep enough to damage some nerve cells. Sirius nodded and asked, "What about his emotional condition? I know someone who has just tried to commit suicide won't be in the good emotional condition, but considering everything how is he doing?"

"Pretty bad; he won't talk to anyone, though that is common among patients. Everyone has tried to get him to respond, but he refuses. I understand that his godfather died before school let out and that is what led to this, or at least that's the conclusion they have come to. I'm going to honest and frank with you. I really don't know if he'll make it through. Yes, his reactions are similar to other patients who have done the same thing, but for some reason I fell like if he doesn't have his godfather back in his life he won't be able to pull through this and we all know him getting his godfather back is impossible."

_He will pull through it. I know he will. I won't let him not pull through it. I'm here; he'll be fine, _Sirius thought reassuring himself. He nodded at the nurse and fell into silence. They reached Harry's room a few minutes later and went through as the nurse opened the door for them and then left. Remus, Kirsten, Dustin, Kayla and her parents were in the room either beside the bed, in chairs, or against the wall sitting in chairs.

Sirius focused his eyes on the bed as he took the charms off himself. He could only see the back of Harry's head since he still had his head buried in the pillow. He walked over to the bed and sat down beside Harry. "Harry?" he said while stroking his hair gently. "Harry? Will you please turn over? It's Sirius. I'm alive. I was only stunned and fell through the veil. The curse wore off, and I managed to get out of the veil. I'm here. Please just turn over. We need to talk." Harry didn't respond and Sirius just kept stroking his hair waiting, hoping he would respond. Sirius was about to give up and try again in the few minutes when Harry turned over though there wasn't any of the relief, happiness, or confusion that he had anticipated. Instead his green eyes were dull and cold and he was glaring at Sirius. Sirius stopped stroking his hair and let his hand drop to the bed cover waiting for Harry to say something.

"You're not my godfather. My godfather, Sirius Black, is dead. He died at the end of the school year in June at the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic," Harry replied voice hard and cold. "I don't know who you are, but you aren't Sirius. If you're a Death Eater go ahead and kill me. I don't care. I tried, but it didn't work. They found me before I could bleed to death since I remember that we just get nerve cells in the wrists, even though you can see the veins they are deeper than they look. Since you are not Sirius, even though you look exactly like him, either kill me or leave."

Sirius sat there shocked, at a loss for words. He blinked several times before saying, "What do I have to do to prove to you that I am Sirius Black, your godfather? Do you want me to answer questions? Ask me anything about your parents, the Marauders, the Marauder's Map, secret passageways out of Hogwarts, about stuff when you where a baby, anything and I'll answer it."

Harry dull cold eyes stared into blue gray eyes. _I'll ask him questions just to see how bad he does. Maybe it will somehow be amusing._

"Give the first and last names of all of the Marauders, including you, their animagus forms, what year my parents started dating, what I asked you about during the school year concerning my father, you, and Snape, and my birthday."

"James Potter, Sirius Black, me, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were the Marauders. James's animagus from was a stag, Peter a rat, and I am a grim like dog. Remus doesn't have an animagus form. He is a werewolf. Your parents, James Potter and Lily Evans, later Lily Potter, started dating in their seventh year. What you asked be about during the school year was a memory you had seen in Snape's pensive where James was humiliating Snape by turning him upside down because I was bored and I helped egg him on. Your birthday is July 31 and you were born in 1980," Sirius replied giving some information that Harry hadn't asked for.

_He got all those right answers, but with Kreacher in that house he could have told somebody._

"How did you get caught in 1993, but then escape that same night? Tell me in detail."

Sirius explained everything, and Harry was silent thinking. "Why did you come back in the summer of '93 and where did you stay late summer early fall '93 to summer '94?"

"I came back because you wrote to me saying your scar hurt and I wrote to Dumbledore asking what I should do. I wanted to come back to be near you. I stayed in a cave on the outskirts of Hogsmead, the only completely wizarding town in Britian, as it was the closest thing to Hogwarts and I knew I would get a chance to see you since third years and above are allowed to visit on certain weekends."

The questioning went on for two more hours; Harry asking question after question and Sirius getting question after question correct. Harry asked him about the Tri-Wizard tournament and what happened at the Third Task. Harry was getting frustrated. The imposter, as he was referring to him, kept getting all the questions right._ There's got to be one question that I know he will get wrong. I know. I'll ask him what nickname he asked me to call him in fourth year when talking about him. I, Ron, and Hermione are the only ones who know about that._

"What nickname did you ask me to call you in my fourth year when talking about?"

"Snuffles," Sirius replied automatically.

Sirius would see surprise and disbelief on Harry's face; obviously he hadn't thought he would get the question right.

_He wasn't supposed to get that one right. This can't be Sirius. Sirius is dead. This just can't be him. Not after everything that happened._

Harry suddenly realized all eyes were on him waiting for him to say something. Harry looked around the room and suddenly felt overwhelmed. Harry pushed the cover off him and jumped out of bed running for the door, but never made it. The minute his feet touched floor his knees buckled beneath him. Sirius saw Harry was about to fall and reached to prevent him from falling and accidentally grabbed his wrist making him cry out in pain, Sirius let go startled by Harry's sudden yell, and Harry fell to the floor tears now rolling down his cheeks. Harry's arms were over his head in a protective gesture and he had curled into a ball. Sirius bent down and gently lifted Harry off the floor and put him back in bed whispering in his ear: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab your wrist. I really am Sirius. Please, you have to believe me." Harry didn't respond just turned over on his stomach and buried his head in the pillow once more.

It was nighttime and everyone was asleep except Harry. He was lying on his side looking at the man who claimed to be his godfather. Harry wasn't sure why he didn't believe him; didn't know why he wouldn't accept it. Wasn't it what he had been wishing for all summer? It just seemed too good to be true. His live just didn't get this good.

_But he got all the questions right. Every single one, even the one about snuffles. Why couldn't it be him?_ The hopeful part of Harry's mind reasoned. Another thought occurred to him: why in the world was he here? Voldemort knew his animagus form he could follow him and kill him. _No, he can't kill him!! I just got him back! _Harry didn't know when he had decided that it was Sirius and not an imposter, but he needed to know the answer to this. He also knew he was bone tired and needed to sleep, but knew he wouldn't get any sleep until he knew why he was here. He reached over and shook Sirius's shoulder. Sirius's head snapped up. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times before focusing in on Harry. "Is something wrong?" he asked alarmed. Harry shook his head.

"I was just wondering why you're here. I mean Voldemort knows about your animagus form, and he could be following you, planning to kill you, not to mention you're on the run from the ministry and I don't want anything to happen to you when I just got you back," Harry said quietly suddenly shy. Sirius was surprised by what Harry said and then smiled gently.

"So you believe that I am alive and not an imposter?" Harry nodded and was glad that Sirius couldn't see him blushing.

"I don't know why I didn't believe you in the first place. I was just so confused about everything. It just seemed too good to be true, and I've just tried to kill myself…" Harry trailed off. Sirius could just barely hear the last part. Sirius stood up and sat down on the bed beside Harry and enveloped him in a bear hug. Harry stiffened at first, but after a few seconds relaxed in his arms, laying his head on Sirius's chest. Harry finally felt safe; like nothing in the world could harm him. Harry wrapped his arms around Sirius and started crying. Sirius realized Harry was crying and wrapped his arms tighter around him. Harry realized slowly that he was falling asleep in Sirius's arms and the last thought he had was: _I didn't get my question answered__._

__

**Next Chapter: Harry goes home and another twist.**


	12. Home and Greg

**Chapter 12: Home and Greg**

Harry was forced to stay in the hospital for another week. Normally it was two weeks, but his wrists were healing quickly and ever since he had got Sirius back he had been better emotionally. The only things he wanted to do were get out of the hospital and go to the cottage that Sirius had bought. He had brought a catalog that the real estate agent had given him. He and Harry had both agreed on the cottage. It was in the middle of a forest protected from muggle and wizard folk alike. Harry was going to stay with him for a month before returning to school. On the weekends Professor Dumbledore was going to come over and tutor him. Remus was going to come daily to bring him his homework. When Harry went back to school Sirius would be going with him as the assistant Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Dumbledore had created the job especially for Sirius.

It was September 1st. Those going to Hogwarts were all saying good-bye along with one new addition, Hermione's younger sister, Brittany. She had got the acceptance letter when she was eleven, but some reason unknown to Harry, hadn't come. Their parents hadn't wanted her to go, but after pestering from both girls, were allowing her to go this year. Her hair was brown like Hermione's, but not quite as bushy, and she had the same eye color. Everyone was surprised to find out she had a younger sibling. Hermione said that she was her only sibling when Harry had asked if she had any other siblings. They left promising to see him in a couple of weeks on the weekend after he and Sirius had settled in.

An hour later, Harry was standing in the living room of a cottage in the woods. He looked around the room. There was a comfy looking sofa and several chairs, a fireplace and a television that Sirius had insisted on getting.

"Harry, come on you haven't seen the upstairs yet," Sirius called from the staircase. Harry ran over to him. Sirius slipped his arm around Harry's shoulders and led him upstairs. Sirius took him to the second door on the right. "Harry, this is your room," he said and opened the door. The walls were red with swirls of gold. The carpet was deep rich plush red. The bed covers were red with gold trimming. Gryffindor colors. There were posters of quidditch on the walls. His trunk was at the end of the bed and Hedwig's cage was on a table in a corner of the room. There was a dresser on one wall. A nightstand stood beside the bed painted gold. Harry looked around grinning foolishly.

"I went ahead and decorated it. I wasn't sure if you would be up to decorating and I didn't want you doing it anyways…" Sirius trailed off nervously.

Harry turned to him still grinning foolishly. "I love it, Sirius. I really do. This is how I could have done it. I love it. I love the house and I love the room," Harry said still grinning. He rushed forward and gave Sirius a hug. Sirius hugged him back saying, "I love you too, kiddo." Harry rested his head on Sirius's chest, as Sirius was a good head taller then he was. They stayed like this for a few minutes before Harry announced he wanted to see Sirius's room. It was right across the hall from Harry's and similarly decorated as Harry's was. They took a complete tour of the house; the kitchen, two bathrooms, guest rooms, living room again, the computer room (Sirius had also insisted on a computer) and finally outside to the quidditch pitch. Harry was thrilled when he saw this.

"Sirius, why didn't you tell me there was a quidditch pitch????"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he replied grinning. Harry grinned back. This was the best day of his life. He had said that at his birthday party in the summer, but this was definitely better than the party. He had Sirius, who loved him, and Remus, and his brother and sister, and Ron, the rest of the Weasley's, Hermione, Kayla, and he wasn't with the Dursley's.

They went back in the house and Sirius started to make lunch while Harry went back up to his room and flopped onto his bed. He hadn't realized it before, but the bed had a goose feather down comforter. Harry sank into feeling the happiest he had ever been. Harry felt his eyes starting to drop and welcomed sleep.

Someone was shaking him, calling his name softly. Harry groaned and turned over. The person kept shaking him. Finally he turned back over and opened his eyes to see his godfather standing over him. "Good you're awake. Dinner's ready, and you need to eat. Come on get up you can sleep later. You have to eat," Sirius said hauling him out of bed. Harry rubbed his eyes sleepily and followed Sirius downstairs.

"Did you actually cook the food?" Harry asked.

"Yes, and I haven't done anything to it. All of it is perfectly edible," Sirius replied.

The food actually smelled well and when he took a bite it tasted good much to his surprise. Sirius was true to his word and nothing happened to him. After they finished eating Sirius made Harry take his medicine the hospital had sent to help speed up the healing of his wrists. Harry didn't mind taking the medicine since it was in capsules instead of a tasty tasting potion.

They went into the living and put in a movie called _Holes._ Harry had read the book so Hermione would shut up about it. Harry was surprised by how close that it stuck to the book. His favorite part was when Mr. Sir said, "I think I'm kinda purty don't you??" he laughed until he almost cried over that. Harry had to explain some of the things to Sirius, but he liked it all the same. After the movie it was too early to go to bed and Sirius has got a movie called _Signs_, which was about crop circles and aliens coming to earth. They waited till it was dark to start that. It was kind of confusing at first, but got clearer as it went along. The video of the little kid's birthday party freaked Harry out a little bit since he had not been expecting a tall blue-greenish creature to walk across the street. By the time that went off Harry was starting to get drowsy even though it was only ten, but the medicine he took made him drowsy. Sirius sent him upstairs to change and go to bed. He went up about fifteen minutes later, kissed Harry gently on the forehead before heading across the hall to his room.

_You didn't tell him, _Sirius scolded his self. _Well, he just out of the hospital. I should wait until he's settled in more before I tell him. Yes, that's it. I'll wait until he's settled in then tell him._ Sirius nodded reassuring himself. With this thought in mind Sirius went downstairs to tidy up.

He had only been cleaning for five or ten minutes when Kirsten and Dustin showed up. Before he could say anything Dustin said, "Did you tell him?" Sirius blinked.

"No, I decided to wait a few days when he's settled in. I didn't think it was a good idea to tell him the day he comes here and he had just got out of the hospital. I'll tell him soon, I promise."

Dustin was actually being serious. He was usually the more care free and wild of the two and Kirsten was the voice of reason. "You really should tell him. Now that we know he's alive and you're alive also. You are still going to let him live with you right?? As much as we love him and are so glad he's alive, but we each have just enough for ourselves. And the ministry wouldn't let us anyway since we're not old enough to be his parents and all, he's fifteen and we're eighteen-"

"Kirsten, calm down. Of course he's going to live with me. That's the only thing I could understand of what you said. You talk to fast," Sirius said.

She grinned sheepishly. "I know I can't help it. I talk fast when I get worked up, upset, or scaredyou know that."

"Yes, but please try to talk slower in the future, okay?" She only smiled at him.

"What is he like?" Sirius asked. "What does he look like? How does he act? Tell me everything."

"He has red hair, sort of like Ron's and hazel colored eyes like Dad's," Dustin said fondly.

"Right now he just acts skittish and suspicious of everything. About half of the foster families he was in treated him bad. He's sort of acting like Harry did right before he… tried to kill himself, which is what is scaring me. He's not depressed enough right now to try to do that, but we thought Harry was doing better and then…" Kirsten trailed off. Sirius and Dustin both nodded understanding what she was saying and why she was worried. "I think he'll come around though. He's been talking a little bit more to us, not a lot, but its some progress despite how little it may be," she said.

"Is he going to attend Hogwarts?" Sirius asked. "Does he know he's a wizard?"

"Yes, he knows. He looked like it was the worst thing possible that could happen to him, but we told Mum and Dad had been one, and that we were, and he didn't seem to think it was the worst thing," Dustin nodded.

"When is he going to go?"

"We were hoping he could when Harry went back, but if they don't meet soon and he's doesn't meet you he might not," Kirsten said.

"I get the hint. I'll tell him tomorrow. He seems fine with the house and really the whole world," Sirius replied.

"Did you ever find out what drove him over the edge?" Dustin asked.

"No, I've asked tones of times, but he won't tell me. He always changes the subject. Who's staying with Greg?" Sirius said.

"Remus is. He came over and we asked him if he would stay there with him while we went somewhere. We left before he could refuse," Kirsten said grinning. "We better go. He's probably getting frustrated, or worried by now, depends on what mood he's in," Dustin said laughing. They said their good-byes and left.

Sirius went back upstairs. He peeked in on Harry before heading to his room. He changed and got into bed deciding to turn in early.

Sirius woke up to the sound of the shower running. He checked to see if Harry was in room. He wasn't so Sirius assumed he was in the shower. Sirius went to his own bathroom and showered, He went downstairs to find Harry talking to Dumbledore who had arrived in the time when Harry got out of the shower and Sirius was taking one.

"Hello, Albus. I wasn't expecting a visit from you until the weekend. What can I do for you?" Sirius said.

"I just need to discuss a few things with you. Alone," he added as an after thought. Harry sighed.

"Follow me," Sirius said leading him to the kitchen. Sirius cast a silencing spell and took the seat across from Dumbledore.

"Have you told him yet? He needs to know and soon. Today. You need to tell him and then they need to meet today. I know it's soon, but Greg is very depressed and considering suicide. He's not showing it on the outside, but he is. I know this because of the whole me actually being a ghost thing." Sirius still couldn't believe the man sitting in front of him wasn't really alive. He and Harry had both been told when Harry was at the hospital.

"I think if they meet, Greg might stop thinking about suicide and decide to give life another chance. He was shuffled from foster home to foster home and almost half abused him. The Dursley's abused Harry. He had been with a good foster family, but Voldemort attacked and killed them. Harry lost you in June. They've both been through similar things and I think it would do him good to talk to Harry. Maybe even sometime sit in on Harry's therapy sessions once or twice if Harry talking to him doesn't do the trick."

"Kirsten and Dustin came last night asking the same thing. I'm going to tell him today. I promise. I'll tell him after breakfast."

"Thank you. I must leave now; I have to get back to the school," he said standing up. Sirius took the spell off and led the ghost to the living room. He flooed back to Hogwarts.

"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, Harry," Sirius said.

"I guess I don't get to know what you were talking about do I?" he asked.

"No, not right now, in a little while."

"You mean you're actually going to tell me?" Harry said surprised following Sirius to the kitchen.

"Yes, since it concerns you and another person, but I want to have breakfast first. You've also got to let me change your bandages since I haven't had a chance yet, and you certainly can not change them your self," Sirius said seeing Harry about to object. "I wish someone would invent a water repellent charm that would repel water and keep and the cloth from getting damp. Especially on bandages," Sirius said as he unwound the bandages from his wrist. He got the roll of bandages down from a cabinet and put new ones on Harry's wrist and fastened them and then proceeded to make breakfast.

Sirius had just made eggs and toast and they eating it talking about whatever came to their minds, which was quidditch. Twenty minutes later Harry and Sirius were sitting on Harry's bed.

"You wanted to know what Dumbledore and I were talking about earlier. We were discussing a boy named Greg, your brother. He's a year younger than you are and will be starting Hogwarts the same day you are. His birthday is in July, a couple of weeks before yours. Just a few hours after he was born someone come into the hospital and somehow managed to kidnap him. Your parents went crazy looking for him. The whole ministry got involved searching all over the continent for him. They never found him and was presumed dead two months later. Whoever had kidnapped him was put in jail for murdering someone. He was sent to an orphanage and had been moved from foster home to foster all his life. Almost half of them treated him like the Dursley's treated you, sometimes worse. He had finally found a foster home that treated him well and loved him, when Voldemort attacked them and the whole family was killed except for him. He had been hiding and Voldemort hadn't found him yet. The aurors showed up and Voldemort left shortly afterward. He came out of his hiding spot when he realized Voldemort was gone and found the people he had loved as a family dead. One of the aurors realized who he was and took him to Dumbledore. Dumbleodore told me, Kirsten, Dustin and he asked me to tell you. Also it will be in the paper tomorrow. Dumbledore is concerned about him. He's been through a lot and the only people he viewed as family have been taken away from him. Since Dumbledore isn't really alive he can tell people's emotion better than we can. He says Greg is contemplating suicide, but isn't showing it on the outside, like you did. He thinks that if you maybe talk to him and see him that maybe you convince him to give life another chance."

Harry stared at Sirius trying to take in what had all just been said. He was silent for a good ten minutes before saying, "I have a little brother. I didn't think there was enough time between my birth and the time my parents died to have any younger siblings, but the time frame if right. It's hard being abused as a child and then learning to love someone and let yourself be loved, and then have them taken away from you," he finished quietly. "When can I see him?"

Sirius smiled relieved. "Today. Dumbledore thinks he might try suicide soon."

"I'm pretty sure I can talk him out if it. If someone had done the same thing for me I probably wouldn't have, but there wasn't anytime for anyone to come since I wasn't showing it on the outside and I wasn't considering it until I read the letter anyways." Harry immediately covered his mouth after saying that. He really hadn't meant to say that.

"What letters?" Sirius asked staring intently at him.

"The ones Remus gave me as a birthday present, the ones from Mum, Dad, and you. The ones you all prepared in case something happened to you. Reading them made me miss you even more and since there was one from Mum and Dad it just added to it and the next thing I knew I had a knife in my hands ready to…" Harry trailed off leaving the sentence unsaid. Sirius sighed. He should have known. He had written that letter in Grimmauld Place after Christmas.

"Where did you get the knife? Kirsten, Dustin, and Remus said you didn't leave your room," Sirius said now sitting beside Harry on the bed with his arms around Harry.

"I had it hid under the mattress of my bed," Harry said quietly laying his head on Sirius's chest relaxing into the embrace. Sirius sighed again and stroked Harry's hair.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered almost inaudible.

"About what?" Sirius asked just as quietly.

"About what I did," Harry said quieter if possible. Sirius kissed the top of his head.

"I know, but you're moving past. We both are. Come on, I told Dumbledore I would tell him once I told you."

"Okay," Harry said following Sirius downstairs. Sirius stuck his head in the fire and ten minutes later Dumbledore and a boy with red hair and hazel eyes were standing in the living room.

"Hi, Greg," Harry said.

"Hi, Harry," Greg said. Harry looked at his eyes. They looked dull and Harry could tell by his posture and face that he really didn't want to be here. He wanted to be alone in a room. Harry gave him a smile trying to be friendly and Greg returned with a small, sad half smile.

Sirius and Dumbledore were talking leaving the two bots avoiding each other eyes, not sure of what to say. Harry took a step closer to Sirius and gently nudged him. Sirius glanced down at him while continuing to talk to Dumbledore. He seemed to understand that Harry wanted him to say, or Dumbledore to say something to break the awkwardness between Harry and Greg. Sirius broke off his conversation Dumbledore addressing the two boys saying, "Harry, why don't you and Greg go to you room while Professor Dumbledore and I discuss a few things?"

Harry nodded at Sirius. "Follow me," he said to Greg leading him up the stairs. Once they got in Harry's room things weren't any less awkward; they were more awkward.

"So," Harry said trying to think of something to say, "did they tell you about…"

"Yeah, they told me you were my older brother along with Kirsten and Dustin. I'm the baby of the family. I was the oldest with the Jones'." A cloud passed over his eyes.

"It hurts to loose someone you care about," Harry said quietly.

"How would you know?" Greg said angrily, voice full of bitterness and resentment, "You have your godfather, the Remus, fellow, and you actually know Dustin and Kirsten. Did you grow up being moved form foster home to foster home? No, you didn't. I don't know much about you, but I know that wasn't your childhood. Did you ever get beaten? No. Did you ever not have enough to eat? I bet you always had enough to eat. You grew up with that godfather, who loves and you grew up knowing you were loved," he was an inch away from Harry's face now. He wasn't shouting, he was whispering, voice full of hatred. "Weren't you? I just described what you life was and is like didn't I?"

Harry stared coolly back at him. He had let him rant at him. Harry had wanted to do the same thing to anyone who he thought had had a happy childhood and loving parents after Sirius's "death."

"No, you did not describe what my life was like. I grew up with my abusive non-loving aunt and uncle. My uncle beat me and I never had enough to eat. I had to wear hand-me-downs form my cousin who is ten times bigger than me. My cousin was the bully at school, him and his group of friends. No one talked to me, if they did Dudley, my cousin, beat him or her up. I was never happy. Things got better when I turned eleven and went to Hogwarts. Dudley and my aunt and uncle weren't there. I was able to make friends and allowed to eat until I got sick if I wanted to, but I never did. I had to stay the summer at my aunt and uncle's when school let out. My first summer there after school, they starved and my friend Ron came and got me out of there before I starved to death. My third year at Hogwarts I met my godfather, Sirius Black. He's your godfather also, I asked, but there was one little problem. He was on the run from the Ministry of Magic; you know what that is don't you?" After getting an affirmative nod from Greg, Harry continued.

"The whole wizarding world thought he had murdered thirteen people with one curse; twelve non-wizards and one wizard, everyone also thought that he was the one to betray our parents to Voldemort. Peter Pettigrew was the one who handed them to Voldemort. He framed Sirius for everything. Sirius got sent to Azkaban, the wizard prison, for twelve years before he escaped after seeing Peter, disguised as Scabbers, my best friend Ron's rat, on his shoulder on the front of the Daily Prophet when Ron's family won a drawing. He went after Peter and ran into me. There's a lot more to the story, but I'll tell you the details later. I kept in contact with him through 4th year through the Tri-Wizard tournament. Once again long story, I'll tell you later. The only thing you need to know is that Voldemort came back at end of the third and final task in which one of my fellow classmates died. I watched him get killed and I fell guilty for his death because I led him to it unknowingly."

"5th year brought troubles I couldn't have imagined; particularly in the last month of school, June. Voldemort sent me a dream in which he had Sirius and if I didn't go and save him he would die. Sirius and I are very close and were then also. I view him as the father I never had. Anyways, I went to where I thought Voldemort had him, but when I got there he wasn't there. After a while I realized it was trap. The nightmare was false. Some of my friends had come with me and along with some of the members of the Order, who showed up later, we fought Voldemort. There was a veil in the room we where fighting in. Sirius and Bellatrix Lestrange were fighting and she sent the stunning curse at him and he fell through the veil. I thought he was dead. We all did. A few months later it was discovered that you can get people out of the veil, or they can come out of their own accord. I'll explain how Sirius got back later."

"The summer was very hard on me. Remus moved in across the street and I found out that I had an older brother and sister. I really don't know them that well. I'm hoping to get to know them better, along with you, in the next month before I return to school. I was very depressed then, but finding out I had family helped me over some of the depression I was in. I still missed Sirius dearly, but not as bad. I had received letter than Sirius and my parents had prepared if anything was to happen to them. I read them and it drove me over the edge. I tried to kill myself," Harry said and pulled up his sleeves so Greg could see the bandages. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at the bandages. It obviously wasn't what he had expected.

"Kirsten and Dustin found me and they rushed me to St. Mungo's, the wizard hospital. That very same day I found out that Sirius was alive so I had slit my wrists open for no reason. Dumbledore told me that you were considering suicide. Don't do it. I know it may seem like the only way out, but it's not. I know it hurts to loose someone you love, but you can get through it. I know being abused as a child is hard, but please don't try to commit suicide. Especially not the way I did it either. It won't work. All you'll do is damage some cells. Sure you could bleed to death, but there are too many people here to let that happen. Why don't you give me a chance? Sirius and Remus were best friends with our parents. They have tons of stories about pranks on the Slytherins especially Snape. So what's your decision: are you going to keep being depressed or are you going to try to live again?"

Greg was giving Harry a look that Harry couldn't decipher. He could see Greg was weighing his options. After fifteen minutes of silence he said, "How did you meet Sirius? You said it was a long story I like long stories. And could you tell me everything else that you said was long?"

Harry smiled. "I can't tell you all of what was a long stories, at least not today, but I will." He then told him how he had meet Sirius first on Magnolia Street and how he ran into him at Hogwarts. Greg listened to every word, and actually laughed when Harry told him that he had blown up his aunt Marge.

Sirius, Dumbledore, Kirsten, Dustin and Remus, who had arrived not too long after Harry had took Greg up to his room, all smiled softly glad that Harry had got through to the boy.


	13. Prank

**Chapter 13: Prank**

Harry was in the library of his and Sirius's, and now Greg's, house looking for old rare potion books. He had been delighted when he had found several and was now looking for more. He searched for a few more minutes before deciding to quit and skim through chapters of the ones he found before looking for anymore.

"What are you reading?" Sirius asked as he walked into the room.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. All of the books he had found didn't have any titles written on them. "A book about potions. I'm looking for one specific potion, but I don't know the name of it so I'm just looking through old potion books."

"What type of potion? Maybe I can help," Sirius said coming and sitting beside him at the table, which was in the back of the library.

Harry the remembered he hadn't told anyone what the letter from his mother had said. Harry sighed. He didn't think it would be good if he told Sirius, or anyone else. What if Voldemort found out that a potion could kill him? He would try to capture anyone he knew anything about it. It was better if no one else knew. _But if you don't tell anyone how are you ever going to find it? Snape would probably know something about it, or have a book that had the name of it and the ingredients in it._

"I don't really know what type of potion it is," Harry lied.

"Really? You're looking for potion that you don't know the name of and you don't know what type it is? You can't describe what it does?" Sirius said voice suspicious. Harry didn't look up from the book, knowing that if Sirius saw his eyes it would only confirm that he had lied.

"Harry, you don't like be lied to, and I don't either. Now we both know what you said is a lie, so why don't you tell me the truth? And don't give some excuse about it being better that I don't know because if I did Voldemort might come after me, or something silly like that. He's already after me. I'm in the Order and he knows how close I am to you, and that by capturing me, would lure you to him," Sirius said sternly.

Harry sighed. "You know those letters Remus gave me for my birthday?" Harry continued after Sirius's affirmative nod. "Well, in the one from my mother she said there was potion that combined with the killing curse might kill Voldemort once and for all. In the letter she said he would have to swallow it and after five minutes he wouldn't be immortal, or whatever it is from keeping him being killed by the killing curse alone, and I could use the killing curse on him and he might die completely." Sirius let a low whistle.

"But even if I find the potion and get all the ingredients how am I supposed to get him to swallow it? That sounds more impossible than finding and making the potion," Harry replied glumly.

"We'll worry about that once we find the potion, all right?" Sirius said. Harry nodded though he still looked glum. He had been doing better emotionally and physically, but there were still moments when everything felt like too much. Sirius, seeing this was one of those times, pulled Harry into a hug. Harry hugged him back and leaned into the embrace.

"Sirius?" he asked after a minute. "Is it normal to miss someone and want them alive even though you have no memory them?"

Sirius tightened his arms around Harry. "Yes, it's normal, Harry." Sirius felt Harry nod and rubbed his back soothingly. After a few minutes Sirius could feel Harry's tears on his chest soaking through his shirt. Sirius again tightened his arms around Harry and continued rubbing his back. Even if Harry hadn't tried to kill himself Sirius thought that there would still be moments like this when it seemed like Voldemort would never be gone, and the killing, and pain would never end.

A girl with long straight back hair looked around the Great Hall of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. She then turned her gaze on the girl named Kayla; her mission. She had to become friends with the girl and get her to trust her completely and then betray her. _I hate my life. I hate my father. _ She looked around once more with her dark brooding eyes before heading back to the Gryffindor common room to get her things for her first class, Potions.

Sirius cleared his throat, grinning looking at the couple sitting on the couch.

"Sirius! I-I didn't hear you come in," Kirsten stuttered face bright red, highly embarrassed. Harry and Greg, who were standing behind Sirius snorted with laughter. "Oh, Harry, Greg, didn't see you there." They both waved, not trusting themselves to speak. Sirius was still grinning. When he had walked into the living he hadn't been expecting to find a kissing couple on his couch.

"Kirsten, aren't you going to introduce us to your _friend?_" Sirius said now smiling innocently.

"Oh, right umm guys this is Zack, my boyfriend," she said still red in the face. Zack gave them a wave, also bright red.

"I was just going to show Harry and Greg something in the kitchen," Sirius said which was only half true. He had been going to the kitchen to get something to eat and Harry and Greg had started following him. He had asked them what they wanted, but they had replied," Nothing," and just grinned. They had been silent up until walking in on Kirsten and Zack and fell silent once again as they followed Sirius into the kitchen.

Sirius went to the refrigerator and started getting out the things he needed to make a sandwich. When he turned around he almost bumped into Harry and Greg who had stayed behind him the whole time. "Is there something you want?" he asked again. They both shook their heads and said in unison,

"No, we don't want anything."

Sirius eyed them suspiciously and proceeded to fix his sandwich. Harry and Greg were still standing behind silently and it was starting to get on his nerves. "Why don't you go flying? It's not that cold out, and you are allowed to fly, Harry. Your wrists are fine. That reminds me, the bandages need to be changed."

Sirius got the bandages down from one of the cabinets and changed them. Neither Harry nor Greg said a word. Sirius then finished making his sandwich and sat down at the table not sure if it was wise to go back into the living room. Harry and Greg sat down across from him. Sirius started to eat, but only ate a couple of bites before stopping. Harry and Greg were staring at him and it was starting to creep him out.

"Are you sure there isn't _anything_ you want, or need?" he asked hoping they would say something.

They both shook their heads.

"Do you want something to eat? A sandwich? The stuff is still out to make one, or I can make one for you…" he trailed off hoping to get a response from them besides a shake of the head. His wish wasn't granted. Sirius finished his sandwich quickly and put everything back in the refrigerator.

He walked upstairs to his room and was about to close the door, but Harry and Greg were standing there staring at him.

"Could you please move, talk, or do something so that I know you're not zombies, or being possessed, or something?" Sirius said. If Sirius had been wise he would have remembered the phrase "Be careful for what you wish for." But, alas, he wasn't.

Harry and Greg looked at each, identical evil grins spread over their faces. They both lunged forward onto Sirius tackling him. They both poured powder over him before jumping up and running off laughing now.

Sirius sat up and blinked staring out in the now empty hallway. He spat out some of the powder that had been poured into his mouth.

He stood up and went over to the mirror and looked at himself. His eyes widened and he yelled, "HARRY AND GREG POTTER!!!!!!!!!!! I'LL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Down in the living room, Harry and Greg burst out laughing and ran out of the living room into a secret passageway that they had found earlier in the day.

An indignant Sirius was standing on the stairs looking around for the two boys. Kirsten, Zack, and Dustin, who had just come over, burst out laughing at the sight of him. This just made him angrier, but when he talked this time pink bubbles came out of his mouth. Sirius glared at the bubbles, but quickly tore his eyes back to Kirsten, and a flash went off.

Kirsten had captured a picture of a Sirius with a rainbow-stripped body with pink bubbles coming out of his mouth. He suddenly changed from rainbow to hot pink, then purple, then black, purple, next he was in woman's clothes and when he finally stopped changing he looked exactly like Snape.

Sirius groaned loudly as Albus Dumbledore came through the fireplace and he changed back to being rainbow-stripped.

Dumbledore chuckled and then said, "I was just coming by to see how Harry and Greg were doing. I'm assuming this is their work?" he said amusement evident in his voice

"Yes, this is their work," Sirius replied and started laughing along with the others shaking his head.

Harry and Greg, having heard Sirius laughing, came out of the secret passageway, grinning broadly.

"When will this wear off?" Sirius asked still laughing as he started to change again.

"In two days," Harry said and then burst into hysterical laughter as Sirius changed into Snape.


	14. The Figure Clothed In Black

**Chapter Fourteen: The Figure Clothed In Black**

Harry looked at the form of his sleeping younger brother, lying on the couch in the living room. Greg had woken up screaming around midnight and hadn't fallen back to sleep until five, despite Harry and Sirius's efforts to get him to sleep. He wouldn't tell either of them what the nightmare was about. Harry wished he would. They could probably help him if he told them what the nightmare was about. After thinking this Harry realized he was being hypocritical; he had never told anyone about his nightmares up until recently and all they wanted to do was help. Harry rubbed at his eyes sleepily. He had stayed up with Greg until he had fallen asleep. He didn't want to sleep since Kirsten and Dustin were coming over later and he wanted to see them. He could hear Sirius talking to Mrs. Weasley who had come over to discuss the plans for the weekend when all his friends were coming. His eyes drooping he gave into sleep.

Brittany looked around the Great Hall at the Gryffindor table searching her older sister, Hermione. She spotted her and went over to her squeezing in between her and Kayla.

"Am I going with you to Harry's this weekend, or am I staying here?" she asked.

"You're going with us. We want you to meet Harry's younger brother. He's starting here when Harry starts back and will be in your year," Hermione said while starting to butter her toast. Brittany nodded as a girl she didn't recognize sat down in front of them.

"Hi," Kayla greeted the newcomer. "Did you just come today? I don't remember seeing you at the sorting."

"Yes, I had to fly from France to get here. My plane was delayed and I left a day later than I should have," she said with a perfect British accent.

"You don't sound French," Hermione commented.

"Oh, I only moved there recently. My dad's job moved him there and since I'm only there on holidays I don't have an accent. I lived in London before I moved," she said smoothly just like she had been told to do.

 "What year are you in?" Kayla asked.

"Sixth," the girl replied.

"We're in sixth too. Brittany is in fifth, she's Hermione's younger sister," Kayla said pointing to each one in turn.

"What school did you used to go to? I don't ever remember seeing you here," Hermione said suspicious of the girl for some reason she wasn't sure of.

"My parents home-schooled me. They didn't want me leaving home to go to school. I finally convinced them to let me go this year."

"My name's Kayla, I forgot to tell you that. What's yours?"

"Tabitha Smith," she replied. _I wish I didn't have to betray you. You seem nice and I think we would be really good friends but… if it weren't for my father._

Snape looked at Kayla, his daughter. She was talking to a girl he didn't recognize and assumed she was new this year though he hadn't seen her at the sorting. Something clicked in his brain. _It's her. She's already here and talking to Kayla. I'll talk to her after classes and convince her not to do what Voldemort says. I can not let my child be taken to Voldemort. I won't let it happen. I need to talk to Draco. I know he doesn't want to serve Voldemort. He doesn't want to face the consequences if she doesn't succeed. I probably convince them to spy for the right side. Maybe Dumbledore would let them join the Order. I'm surprised Potter didn't ask to over the summer. He was two depressed about his godfather's death to care about that._

Someone addressing him brought him out of his musings. "What?" he asked looking at his right where Albus Dumbledore sat.

"Is that her? The girl talking to Kayla, Hermione, and Brittany?" the old wizard asked.

Severus nodded. "I believe so. She's the only new student that wasn't at the sorting and the only new student here today," Snape replied quietly. He looked at his watch and excused himself to go get ready for class. He was about to get up when a figure cloaked in black came through the doors. It took the students a few moments to notice the figure, but when they did all was silent waiting for their Headmaster to say something, and he had a menacing aurora about him.

Dumbledore stood up, drawing his wand as he did so. The teachers, and a majority of the student body, placed their hand on their wand ready to defend their selves if it came to that.

"Who are you, and how did you get in here?" Dumbledore asked quietly thought it carried through the hall easily.

The figure stood there unmoving.

"Will you please remove your hood?" Dumbledore asked is the same quiet and firm voice.

"You do not need to know who I am, or how I got here. You should not bother yourself with such trivial information. I have come to warn you. Danger looms on the horizon. Your enemies are closing in. I am not talking about Voldemort. There are different enemies who threaten the school and your exsistence beside him, and I would warn, they are much more powerful than him when together. Some of those enemies reside in the castle. Some even are in you. This enemy is even feared by Voldemort. You must take every precaution available to you to save as many lives as you can. Also, you should get all the Potters and Sirius Black here immediately. I know he and his younger brother are not supposed to come back for a month, but unless you get them here immediately, they will surely die. Harry Potter is essential to the war. His and young girl's powers combined, and their knowledge will vanquish the Dark Lord soon, and then the evil that is worse than him. We can not afford to loose Harry Potter. You must get him here immediately."

The hooded figure said the last word with a note of finality. The figure turned and left just as silently as it had entered, leaving a shocked student body and teachers in its wake.  Dumbledore watched the figure leave, bemused.

_How could anyone be worse than Voldemort? _

The old man pushed the thought ahead and told Minerva to go and fetch Harry.

Harry groaned as someone shook him. He was still sleepy and had no desire to get up.

"Harry, come on get up. We have to leave _now_," Sirius whispered in his godson's ear. He shook Harry more forcefully. Harry groaned and opened his eyes. "Good, you're finally awake. Get dressed and bring your stuff down here ASAP," Sirius said quickly moving to wake up Greg.

"Why? What's going on? What happened?" Harry asked confused suddenly wide awake.

"I don't have time to explain. Just so as I say," Sirius replied shortly.

Harry nodded and went upstairs followed by Dustin. Harry changed in about ten seconds and then he and Dustin carried his trunk downstairs. Greg's trunk was already down there. Kirsten and Minerva had brought it down earlier. Sirius had done a spell to change Greg's clothes so he wouldn't have to wait for him to change.

"All right," Sirius said, "Greg you go first, then Harry, Kirsten, Dustin, Minerva, then me." After saying this he threw floo powder into the fireplace. Greg stepped into the flames and said loudly and clearly,

"The Headmaster's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy," and speed away. Sirius looked around the room before he left. He heard the door bang and quickly left.

He fell out of the fireplace into Headmaster Dumbledore's office. He stood up and brushed himself off. Harry immediately came over to him.

"What happened? Professor Dumbledore won't tell me. He said we should wait till you got here. Professor Dumbledore," Harry called to old man sitting behind his desk, "Sirius is here now. Will you tell me what's going on now?"

"Have a seat and I will explain everything."

Everyone hurriedly sat down.

Dumbledore pulled out his Pensive. "I think it will do you more good to see it than for me to tell you." He touched the surface and Great Hall rose up out of it with a cloaked figure standing at doors. The figure started to speak. By the end of it Harry was pale and shaking slightly. Sirius, who was sitting beside him, reached and an arm over and wrapped it around him. Harry scooted closer to Sirius and laid his head on Sirius's shoulder.

Harry recognized the voice of the cloaked person, or at least it sounded like someone he had know. _It can't be him. He's dead and he was a muggle. How would he know anything about Voldemort? Maybe he wasn't a muggle. I'm assuming he was since the Dursleys associated with him, but they associate with Mrs. Figg and she knows about the wizarding world. And besides he's dead. He died when I was eight._

"Albus, who in the world could be worse then Voldemort? I don't see how it's possible," Minerva said quietly.

"I do not know. I honestly don't. There's only one thing that could be worse, but it's just legend," he said.

"The Chamber of Secrets was thought to be legend and it's real," Harry said voice shaking slightly. Sirius moved his arm and stroked Harry's hair, trying to calm him.

"Well, my dear boy, you do have a point. There is a legend that speaks of a Tom Riddle, more commonly known as Voldemort, who spreads terror through out the land. No one thought anyone could be worse than him. The legend says there is one and gave his name but, alas, the name escapes me. It's actually a very detailed legend, but I haven't heard it in many years and do not remember any, but what I told you, which is very little."

"Why did you believe the person? How do you know it isn't a sick student playing some kind of joke?" Harry asked hoping that was the case.

"Even in disguise I am able to recognize by students who currently attend here and those who have in the past. That was no student," Dumbledore said gently.

"Someone did come to the house. The door was blown off its hinges right as I was about to leave. I didn't see who did it," Sirius said. He wrapped his arm tighter around Harry and kissed the top of his head as he felt Harry shudder.

"Do have any clue who the young girl could be?" Sirius asked.

No. I am just as confused as you are," Dumbledore said the twinkle gone from his eyes and looking older than ever.

Harry buried his face in Sirius's shoulder tears threatening to spill out of his eyes. Sirius rubbed his back soothingly. Tears leaked out Harry's eyes at the memory of his death. Sirius felt something wet coming through his shirt. He turned slightly and picked Harry up out his chair and placed him on his lap. Harry buried his head in Sirius's chest. He couldn't get the sound of gun shot out of his head and then the dull thud of a body hitting the ground.


	15. The Meadow

**Chapter Fifteen: The Meadow**

Harry stared at the ceiling, trying to come up with an explanation as to why the mysterious person clothed in black voice sounded like Ethan's had before he died.

When Harry was seven a new kid came to class at his muggle elementary school. He hadn't met Dudley yet and didn't know he wasn't supposed to talk to Harry. He met Dudley later on that day, but even after his threats he wasn't afraid of Dudley and continued to talk to Harry. Harry was reluctant to become friends knowing Dudley would tell Petunia and Vernon and he would get in trouble.

Ethan, as it turned it out, was as big as a bully as Dudley was. The only difference was Ethan was only a bully to Dudley. He even beat Dudley up one day after he had been teasing Harry. Needless to say Dudley didn't tease Harry when Ethan was around, or very much at home when Ethan started asking Harry if Dudley had been teasing him at home. His parents had thought this odd, but just figured he was thinking of new insults and saving them.

Ethan's mom or dad always picked him up from school. They day Harry was supposed to go home with Ethan to play at his house a man that Harry didn't recognize, and Ethan looked scared to see, was there to pick Ethan up. Harry reluctantly got in the car with Ethan and they drove off. All three passengers were silent throughout the whole ride. Harry had already been nervous about getting into a car with a man he didn't recognize, and Ethan looked scared to see, and his nervousness switched to scared when the turn leading away from Ethan's house. Ethan started crying silently obviously knowing something Harry didn't. They drove through back roads in a stony silence. They had been driving for a long time and the sun was starting to set when the man pulled off the road and drove across the bumpy ground. They were in the middle of a meadow. When Harry tried to see the road that had been on he couldn't. The more that they had drove the more Ethan had cried. The man got out of the car and opened the door on Ethan's side. He unbuckled him and picked him up out of the car. Harry jumped as Ethan let out a shrill yell. Ethan continued yelling and only shut up after the man had injected something in his arm. Harry had been trying to get his seat belt un-done, but in his panic he wasn't able to. The man pulled out a key pad, punched some buttons on it and the car was locked. Harry stopped trying to unbuckle himself and started pulling at the lock. He finally managed to get his seat belt un-done and scrambled into the front seat. He hit all the buttons beside the driver's seat, but none of them worked. He was crying by now, desperate to get out and try to help his friend. Harry glanced up at the man and Ethan. The man was walking away from the car and still held the now silent Ethan in his arms. Harry gave up and slumped against the seat, crying and buried his face in the seat.

Harry's body froze as he heard what he recognized as a gun shot and the sound of something falling to the ground. He glanced up at the saw the man with a gun at his side. Harry started sobbing and buried his face in his hands. He heard another gun shot and what he now knew was the sound of a body falling to the ground.

Harry stayed in the car for a long time, he didn't know how long, before walking in the direction that he thought the road was in. He reached the road successfully and collapsed on the side, his body shaking with sobs. At some point he fell asleep, but he didn't remember when he fell asleep.

When he woke up he was in a comfortable bed, unlike the hard one he had to sleep on at home. He opened his eyes and looked around. The room was completely white and there was a lady standing beside his bed smiling sweetly down at him.

"Where am I?" Harry asked quietly.

The smiling lady, whom Harry realized was dressed like a nurse, said, "You're at the hospital, honey. A lady found you on the side of a road, and brought you here. Can you tell me how you got here?"

The lady's voice was soft and she seemed nice and before Harry knew it he was telling everything that had happened. By the time he was done telling what happened in the past twenty four hours he was bawling his eyes out. The nurse sat down on the bed and took Harry into her arms. Harry wasn't used to being held and tensed, but after a few minutes he relaxed into the embrace. Harry also had to tell a police man what happened as an eye witness for the file and Ethan's parents wanted to know what happened.

The Dursleys came and got him a few hours later from the hospital and took him back to Privet Drive. They scolded him for dragging them into this, the police having to question them about him. They didn't give him any food, or drink for two days. Harry cried him self to sleep almost every night for two weeks and always woke up from nightmares about meadows, gun shots, the sound of someone hitting the ground, and the face of a man he didn't recognize.

Harry rubbed his eyes, wiping his tears away. It hurt more than he had thought it would to think about his friend.

_I wonder why I didn't see the thestrals when I started Hogwarts. Maybe I didn't because I had my face hidden and didn't actually see it or…_

Harry didn't finish the thought. Ethan was dead. He had gone to the funeral and everything. He was dead and nothing could bring him back. _Then why did the voice sound like his?_

Harry pushed these thoughts aside, sighed, got off the bed and went into the living room of Remus' living quarters. He sat on the couch beside Sirius.

"Sirius, can I have a Dreamless Sleep potion?" Harry asked quietly. He hadn't been given one last night since they had all forgotten. They hadn't got in bed until two in the morning and Harry had fallen asleep almost instantly, but that didn't stop him from having nightmares. Sirius nodded and stood up. He knew Harry wasn't telling him something, but the teen wouldn't tell.

"Harry, go back to your room, I'll be there in a minute with the potion," Sirius said before he left the room. Harry did as he was told and returned to his room. Sirius came in, gave him the potion and Harry drifted peacefully off to sleep.

Voldemort looked at his daughter from his place in his "throne."

"Is everything going according to plan? Remember the consequences if you fail," he said his red eyes meeting her grey ones.

She looked into the slits that were his eyes. "Yes, everything is going according to plan. We've been hanging out together and have become friends. I haven't seen Potter and she hasn't either. The only people who have seen him since he came back to the school are his godfather, Remus Lupin, his younger brother, and Professor Dumbledore."

Voldemort narrowed his so called eyes. "Why did you call him Professor Dumbledore? He should not have any name besides Dumbledore in my presence and that's the most civil name."

"Father, you of all people should know that it's habit for me to call him Professor Dumbledore, as I am attending his school on his order, and you told me not to get in trouble, so I have to call him professor. Would you prefer me to call him a mudblood loving fool in the presence of Gryffindors, or any other member of the student body besides Slytherins and blow my cover and your plan?" she asked, her tone clearly saying "I thought you were smarter than that."

If any other follower of his had said that to him they would find themselves under the torturing curse, or be dead faster than you could say go. This didn't befall Tabitha, his daughter. Everyone could tell he clearly wanted to do something to the child, but when he raised his wand Tabitha said,"Father, you aren't going to do anything to me are you? You know if you do I will have to tell on you and there wouldn't be any good consequences of that, now would there?" she said in the same tone. Voldemort lowered his wand as the Death Eaters exchanged glances.

"No, I wasn't going to do anything to you. Why in the world would you think that?" he asked.

Tabitha rolled her eyes at him. They all saw his hand tighten on his wand, his knuckles turning white.

"So, Father, have any idea who is worse than you are? I mean you're pretty bad, but like they say someone out here is always better than you are. I wonder if they're stupider, well never mind, that isn't possible, no one is better at that than you," Tabitha said mockingly.

His wand was in danger of snapping two he was gripping it so hard. "Don't you dare talk to me like that. I will not stand for it." He raised his wand again preparing to give her what he thought she deserved, but she just stood there calmly.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said calmly, a slight smile on her face," you don't want to face Mum do you? You know what she will do if you harm me in any way."

"Well, she doesn't let you talk like that to her so why should I let you talk to me like that, miss smarty pants?"

"Because you type of punishment is the Crucitias Curse, and hers is not letting me talk to my friends for a week," Tabitha replied smoothly, still smiling.

Voldemort once again lowered his wand. "All of you listen to me. There is no one worse than me. That probably wasn't even true and just some student playing a joke. Is that understood? If I hear any news of any of you doubting my power you will be severely punished. Now all of you out of my sight."

_There's only one person who had the potential to be worse than myself, but I doubt he would do that._

Severus Snape looked at the two sixth years sitting in front of him, who both had been at the Death Eater meeting.

"I have a proposition for both of you. First let me tell you that I am not really on the Dark Side. I am a spy for Professor Dumbledore, not for Voldemort, even though Voldemort thinks the opposite. The proposition I have for you is to do the same thing. I know both of you really do not want to follow the Dark Lord and have been forced to join him be your families. Do you want to?" he asked looking in their eyes in turn.

"I do," Tabitha said immediately. Severus nodded at her.

"Draco?" Severus prompted.

"Can I have some time to think about it, sir?" he asked.

Severus nodded, "Yes, could you give me your answer by the end of week?" 

The boy nodded.

"All right, you both need to get back to your common rooms, and I will tell Professor Dumbledore of you choice," he said getting up and opening the door for them.

Tabitha walked toward the Gryffindor common room feeling much better about herself.

Kayla was talking to Remus trying to get persuade him to let her see Harry.

"Please, Remus, let me see him. I was going to see this past weekend, but with that person that came and told all that stuff, I didn't get to. Please, please, please let me see him," she begged.

Remus shook his head. "Even if I was going to let you he's asleep so you couldn't talk to him anyways, and why not talk to him telepathically?"

"I tried, but he won't answer me. He's ignoring me," Kayla said.

"Well if you won't talk to you telepathically, why would he in person? He won't talk to anyone else much either. What the person, who ever it was, said shocked us all, but whatever it said brought back some memory, or past experience that Harry had pushed aside and he's having trouble moving past it and being happy. Sirius and I have tired talking to him, but he won't tell us what's wrong. He's having nightmares almost every time he falls asleep, even in the daytime. He keeps saying the name Ethan and something about a voice, but he won't tell us who Ethan is. If we let you see him we'll have to let everyone, we asked him if he wanted to see you guys, but he said he wanted to wait a little while before seeing you. He would probably prefer that Sirius, Greg, and I weren't here, but he isn't getting rid of us. Let's wait a few more days and see how he is then. Then after that, you might be able to see him. Until then keep trying to get him to talk telepathically, okay?" Remus said.

Kayla sighed knowing she wasn't going win and nodded her head. Remus squeezed her shoulder before heading down the hall. Kayla turned and went to Gryffindor tower.

_ Harry? _

_ What Kayla? _

_ Why wouldn't you talk to me before? _

_ I wasn't in the mood. _

_ Sirius and Remus are worried about you. They said you won't tell them what's wrong. _

_ I don't have to tell them everything. _

_ I know, but don't you think you should? Why did what that person say effect you so much? I mean, I know you have to defeat Voldemort in the end and everything, but you've known that since the end of the school year. Is it the thing that's supposed to be worse than Voldemort? _

_ It's not what the person said it's… you don't understand. _

_ No, I don't understand since you won't tell me what's wrong. _

_ I can't talk about it; it's too hard. Sirius is here with a sleeping potion. Good night. _

_ Good night. _

_Well at least he talked to me then though I didn't accomplish much. I'll try again tomorrow._

Kayla closed her eyes and fell asleep.

-


	16. Portraits

**Chapter Sixteen: Portraits I **

Harry stared out the window, wondering about the voice of the figure clothed in black. He had considered every possibility, but still couldn't figure it out. Harry banged his head on the desk he was sitting at in frustration.  He had finally caved and told Sirius what was wrong. Sirius had been relieved, and had helped Harry to try to figure out why the voice sounded like Ethan's, but to no avail.

Harry looked at the open potions book in front of him that Professor Snape had lent him. He had reluctantly told him what his mother had written and he had given Harry several large books that he hadn't read, and thought might help. Harry turned his attention back to the book and started looking through the potions in it. He looked for an hour before heading to the living room, where Sirius was, in a foul mood.

"Here," Harry said dropping a book beside Sirius on the couch, "you look for a while. I'm sick of looking. Besides it's probably in a book that only I can open buried in some ancient grave in Siberia." Harry plopped himself down beside Sirius.

"You're right, Harry. It probably is in a book only you can open buried in some ancient grave in Siberia," Sirius said jokingly.

Harry stared at him, stunned momentarily. "You're supposed to say that I'm wrong. You're supposed to say that we will find it if we just keep looking, and that I only said that because I'm frustrated," Harry said moodily, scowling at his godfather.

Sirius chuckled at him. "Harry, I was joking. It's not in some book that only you can open in some ancient tomb in Siberia. It's probably in some book only you can open in Australia," Sirius said, laughing. Harry sighed loudly, exasperated at his godfather.

"I'm joking. I'm sure we'll find it eventually. I'm just trying to get you to smile, but you're not cooperating."

Sirius reached over to tickle him, but Harry moved his arms over his sides before Sirius even had a chance to try. Sirius sighed.

"Do you want anything to eat? You hardly ate anything at breakfast."

Harry shook his head.

"Are you sure? I can fix you something if you want."

"I'm not hungry, Sirius," Harry mumbled.

"Well, what do you want to do? Flying, explore the castle, play chess? I'm not going to let you sit here and brood, so choose something to do."

Harry sighed. "Why can't I sit here and brood?" he asked pouting slightly, hoping his godfather would give in and let him.

"Put the lip away, you know that doesn't work. If you stay here you'll just get depressed and you're supposed to do what I say. Come on, "he said standing in front of Harry. He pulled the groaning Harry off the couch. "I've got something I want to show you."

"I thought I got to choose what we do. How do you now that I'll like what you've got to show me?" Harry asked in an annoyed tone.

First of all," Sirius said sternly, "don't use that tone with me, young man. You don't get to choose since you didn't tell me what you wanted to do. You will like what I have to show you, and no I'm not telling you where we're going. And even if you tell me what you want to do we aren't doing it."

Harry sighed and followed Sirius silently through the numerous halls of Hogwarts. They went through secret passageways that for some reason weren't on the Marauder's Map. They stopped at an empty picture frame. The background was a black swirling mist. Sirius put a finger on it and said something inaudible to Harry's ears. The blackness stared swirling more rapidly compared to the slow, lazy swirling it had been doing. After a moment a figure started to materialize and a minute later a tall man with untidy jet black hair and hazel eyes was standing in front of them. Harry and Sirius both gazed stunned at the figure of James Potter who was smiling broadly at them. He looked to be about twenty years old.

"Padfoot! Long time no see! So how are you?" the portrait of James Potter asked. When Sirius didn't answer he continued. "Who's this you've got with you? He looks like… Harry?" James asked disbelieving. His dead father was gazing at him with tears in his eyes. "Is it really you? I haven't seen you since you were a baby."

"James," Sirius' voice sounded odd and choked slightly, "why are you here? What happened to the portrait of your father?"

"Oh, he found a portrait of Mum on the eighth floor and is staying there so I took over here. Sirius, is… is that really my son?"

Sirius blinked and glanced at Harry. "Yes, this is Harry, James."

Tears filled his eyes again. "Harry… I can't believe this. I knew you where alive, but I figured you didn't know where this was… or that you didn't want to see me." His voice was chocked.

"I didn't know about this place. I didn't even know there was a portrait of you. If I had known I would have come long before now to talk," Harry said quietly.

_Why didn't anyone tell me? Is there a portrait of Mum too?_

"Well you've certainly grown since I've last saw you. How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"James, can we go in? We can finish the conversation inside," Sirius said wanting to sit down.

"What? Oh right…"

He left the frame and it moved sideways revealing a hole for them to step through. The room inside wasn't spectacular. There was a couch, love seat, a few arm chairs, a coffee table and desk in the far corner. Harry and Sirius settled in armchairs. James was in a portrait that had an armchair and a bowl on fruit in it.

"Harry, won't you get in trouble for being out of class? Not that I care all that much if you are, carrying on the family tradition even though we didn't skip that many classes, but I don't know where you're mother is and she will kill me if I don't say that," James said giving them a crooked grin.

"Is Lily's portrait here also?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, she's somewhere in the school. Probably in the library."

"Where are we?" Harry asked.

"Marauder's Haven," James said in booming voice and took a bow. "Only the original Marauders can get in here."

"Oh really?" a female voice said. Harry and Sirius turned in the direction of the voice to see Lily Potter in the portrait on the opposite wall, hands on her hip and a light smile on her lips. "Only the _original Marauders_? I beg to differ, James."

"And of course my beautiful wife, whom I love very much, mother of my child, Lily," James said grinning at her hoping she wouldn't go completely off on him. Lily sniffed unapprovingly.

"James, that smile may have worked when we were going out, but its sure doesn't now," she said now standing behind him. "Hello, Sirius, I didn't see you there. And… Harry?" her voice sounded just like her husbands had. She was gazing at him.

"Yes, Lily this is your son, Harry. He's sixteen now instead of fifteen months," Sirius said.

"I didn't know if I was ever going to see you again. You hadn't come here yet, and I figured you didn't know about it. The last time I saw you, you were only fifteen months old and now you're almost an adult," her eyes were filled with tears and one fell down her cheek.

Harry suddenly missed his parents so much that tears filled his eyes that were so much like his mother's.

_Why did you have to die?_

Harry blinked away the tears, and ignoring the ache in his heart said, "How come I wasn't told that there was portraits of my parents'?" he asked Sirius.

"I didn't know they weren't destroyed in the fire. I really didn't know they were here. If I had known that they had survived the fire me, or someone else, would have told you by know. I had really forgotten about them to."

"Sirius, shouldn't he be in class?" Lily asked.

"I don't have to go to class for another two weeks. Greg decided to go back this week, but I didn't want to, and Sirius wouldn't let me. I think Greg went so he can be near Brittany," Harry said speaking up for himself.

Lily and James both sat up straighter when Harry had said Greg.

"Did you say Greg? As in your little bother Greg? He's alive?" Lily asked. "And why don't you have to go back to school?"

Harry made himself comfortable. They were going to be there for a while.

Four hours later found the foursome silent. Harry and Sirius had moved from the arm chairs to the couch and Harry was leaning lightly against Sirius. Lily and James looked shocked. Sirius had been about to give them a shortened version, but they had insisted on details. Fifteen minutes passed before Sirius said, "Are you two okay? You haven't said anything yet."

Lily opened her mouth several timed to say something, but never got anything out. After another ten minutes of silence with the occasional sigh from Harry, Lily said, "I am so sorry you had to go through that. Both of you. I… I really don't know what to say."

Harry wanted to ask some questions, but if he opened his eyes his head pounded from the light. He wasn't sure if he could stay conscious long enough to hear the answers.

_Why do I feel like I'm going to faint? Oh yeah… I didn't take the potion Sirius told me to. Uh-oh._

"Sirius?" Harry tried to say it, but it came out as a whisper. Harry tried again, but to no avail. They were talking now and Sirius couldn't hear him. Harry groaned and buried his head against Sirius' shoulder. This got his attention along with Lily and James.

"Harry?" he said stroking his hair lightly. "What's wrong?"

Harry moved his head and tried to say something, but could get even a whisper out now. Harry pointed at his throat.

"Your throat's sore? Can you talk?"

Harry shook his head no.

"Did you take that potion I left you last night?" Sirius asked.

Harry shook his head no again.

"This is way you were supposed to take it. If I had known you hadn't taken it I would have made you eat more at breakfast, and made you eat something before we left. If you don't take the potion and don't eat a lot your whole body almost shuts down. You did more damage than any of us though when you tried to kill yourself. It messed up your metabolism and how much you need to eat and when, so you won't faint. Does your stomach and head hurt?"

Harry nodded.

"James, do you still get food in here just like we used to?"

"Yes, you can because Remus came here when he was teaching here and he got some."

Harry groaned as Sirius got up. He had been comfortable and now his head hurt even more. He walked over to where Lily and James were in the portrait, tapped the wall beneath it and small red button appeared. Sirius pushed it and the coffee table turned over and food was on it.

"Sirius, do you need me to get Madame Pomphrey and ask her to come down here?" Lily asked.

"If you would."

Lily left the portrait immediately.

"How long has he had to take the potion?" James asked concern in his voice.

"Last night was the first night he was supposed to. He would eat and eat and still be hungry, but I didn't think much of it since he's sixteen and has a large appetite. But then he started to get dizzy and feel like he was going to faint so I took him to Madame Pomphrey. We ran some tests and it turns out that if he doesn't take a potion with some vitamins and nutrients in it this happens. Harry does it hurt to open your eyes?"

Harry nodded his head. His face was as pale as ghost.

"Open your mouth."

Harry did as he was told, allowing Sirius to feed him.

James left to go to the entrance to let Madame Pomphrey in as Lily reappeared.

The nurse bustled in a second later and came over to them.

"So he didn't take the potion?"

"Apparently not. I had trusted him to take it, but he didn't, "Sirius said sighing.

She bent down on the other side of Sirius who was sitting on the couch, in order to reach Harry's arm to give him an injection. Harry was so near unconsciousness even with the few bites of food that Sirius had feed, that he hardly felt the shot.

"That will swell some and hurt quite a bit. Here are some pain pills for him if he complains too much. He should be able to open his eyes without a searing headache in about fifteen minutes."

Fifteen minutes later Harry was leaning heavily against Sirius with his head on Sirius' shoulder. He was blinking in the light as his head ache lessened. The color returned to his face and he looked around the room looking confused, but then realized what had happened and sighed. Madame Pomphrey left seeing that he was recovering fine.

"Why does my arm hurt?" Harry asked quietly.

"Madame Pomphrey had to give you an injection. She said it would swell and hurt a lot, but she gave me some pain pills for you if it gets to bad," Sirius said stroking his head gently.

"Am I in trouble?"

Sirius sighed. "No, you're not. I think you know to take the potion, besides it's hard to be upset with you when you still feel bad, and didn't do it intentionally. Sit up some so you can eat something."

The only thing he did was to move his head off Sirius' shoulder. He placed the plate of food in Harry's lap and they all kept a watchful eye on him as he ate.

"Someone's at the door again, I'll be right back," James said.

Madame Pomphrey came back in. "I'm sorry for coming again, but I forgot to give you the potion. Even though I gave him an injection he still needs to take the potion. It'll probably make him drowsy, but that's the only thing."

Sirius took the potion from her, smiled his thanks, and she left.

He gave it to Harry to drink. He took a sip of it before spitting it out.

"Arg, that's tastes horrible!" Harry exclaimed making a face.

"I can always get Madame Pomphrey to came back and give you another shot or two if you would prefer," Sirius said lightly.

Harry grimaced. He pinched his nose and quickly gulped the potion down. He immediately coughed after he had took it all and took a drink of pumpkin juice, but that only made the taste in his mouth worse. He grabbed a cup of water and gulped it down.

"Mum?" Harry said hesitantly now that the horrible taste was out of his mouth. The word sounded foreign to him.

"What, honey?"

Harry grinned slightly when she called him honey. "Can you answer some questions I have about the potion that is supposed to be able to kill Voldemort along with the killing curse that you talked about in the letter you wrote before you died?" he said quickly in one breath. He wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about it.

Lily blinked. "What? Oh, yeah, sure what do you want to?"

"Why didn't you tell me how to make in the letter? And where in heck is it, and how can I get him to drink it?"

"I didn't tell what the potion is called, or how to make it since I don't remember. I found it my third year when I was doing extra credit. It wasn't in the restricted section and I don't remember the title of the book. Its looks like a simple potion, but it's not. That's all I remember about it. Anyway, I copied the potion into my journal that I had. I kept the same journal all my seven years here and then left it under a loose floor board in the seventh year girl dormitories. It's probably still there."

"The one place I can't go. But Hermione can. Do you remember what bed you slept in so she doesn't have to look under all of them?"

"No, I don't remember, and who's Hermione?"

"One of my two best friends. Ron Weasley is the other one. I'll tell you about them another time and… well I don't know if I should tell you that."

"Tell me what?" she asked her eyes narrowing.

"Nothing," Harry said.

"Harry," she said warningly.

Harry wasn't sure why he felt like something bad would happen if he didn't.

"Just some of my school adventures. You might not think I should have done them because I almost died several times," Harry said nervously.

"So, who is this girl Brittany you mentioned about five hours ago that Greg likes?" James asked changing the subject, smiling mischievously.

"James Potter you haven't even seen him since he was a few weeks old and you're already thinking of ways to embarrass the poor kid? Don't deny that wasn't what you were doing; I know that smile," Lily said scowling at her husband. Harry grinned at the interaction between the two of them.

_Well, I know now that if they hadn't died and I had grown up with them I wouldn't be the only one getting fussed at._

"Actually she is his girlfriend. Hermione and her are nothing a like. Hermione's a book worm and very studious. Brittany is completely the opposite. She's worse about not wanting to do her homework than me and Ron are. She's really shy too. She made friends with Ginny really easily, but she doesn't really have any other close friends besides Ginny and Greg. Sirius do you think anyone will wonder where we are."****

"No. I told Remus I was considering taking you somewhere to try to cheer you up some more and get away from those potion books. If anyone asks he'll tell them that and they'll spread it around."

"How come this, and the secret passage ways we went through aren't on the map?" Harry asked.

"They are on the map, you just can't see them. We didn't want to give all of you secrets away. Only the ones you helped make the map, and now your mother, can see them," James said.

"That's not fair. I could've used some of them passage ways to get away from Filch," Harry said playfully scowling at his father and godfather.

"Are there more rooms like this?"

"Yes, we each have one. This is James. Peter did have one, but Remus told me it had been destroyed," Sirius said.

"I had one of the professor's destroy it for me the first year I was here, "James said.

"Can you please bring Greg here tonight? And Kirsten and Dustin as soon as possible. I want to see all my babies together again," Lily said.

"Yes, please bring him here tonight. I want to them again to. All of them," James said.

"Don't worry; we'll bring Greg here tonight. Kirsten and Dustin might be able to get here tonight. If not tonight, tomorrow. I promise," Sirius said.

"You might get to see Kirsten and her boyfriend, "Harry said wanting to see his father's reaction to that.

James' eyes narrowed. "She had a boyfriend? Some creep is dating my baby girl? Sirius, why are you letting her date him?" James asked looking at his friend indignant.

Sirius laughed. "It's not like I can stop her. She's a grown woman and she's more than capable of taking care of herself. I have talked to him and gave warnings, but really there isn't a need to with him. He's training to be an Auror, has his own place, very responsible, and would never dream of hurting any woman. His father was an alcoholic and hit his mother, and him, after that happened he vowed never to treat any of girlfriends, and eventually his wife, like that. He's only had two other girlfriends and both relationships weren't that serious. He's actually very nice."

"You're not supposed to say that! You're supposed to say he's a creep and agree with me," James said scowling,"not give Lily stuff to throw back at me when I'm complaining about her dating."

Sirius simply shrugged his shoulders, grinning.

_I wonder what will happen when I have to confront an over protective father._


	17. Portraits II

**.******

**Chapter Seventeen: Portraits II  **

Lily was crying, kneeling at the edge of the portrait trying to get through to her youngest son whom she had thought dead. James knelt beside her and put an arm around her, tears on his face.

"Greg… I thought you were dead. I can't believe I'm actually seeing you. I wish I could come out of the portrait and hold you.  But I guess I'll have to be content with this, won't I?" she smiled tearfully.

Greg nodded hesitantly, his throat too tight to speak.

"I wish I didn't have to. I want to hold both of my boys, three once Dustin gets here, and Kirsten. But that's not possible," she said bitterly. Harry found his own eyes filling with tears. He looked to Sirius and saw tears in his eyes.

Lily drew in a breath and composed herself. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't think that would happen. I'm sorry."

"Lily, you don't have to apologize. I'm surprised you hadn't done that already," Sirius said.

"I am to. I wanted to, but somehow managed to control it."

"Greg, are you okay?" Sirius asked. "You haven't said anything yet."

"I'm not sure what to say. How come there's a portrait of them here at Hogwarts and why didn't you tell me during the summer?"

They all explained it to him quickly and started talking. Greg told about his childhood, and then after he was finished Harry got to tell about the Dursleys. Lily and James were both already furious after hearing about Greg, and were more after Harry was finished.

"I should have never let you go with Petunia. She never did like magic. She hated me for being able to do it and her parents for being proud of me. She thought her parents loved me more because I could do magic and she couldn't." Seeing the confused looks on Harry's and Greg's faces she continued. "I was adopted. Petunias parents took me in after my parents died when I was five. Both of Petunia's parents could do magic. but she turned out to be a squib."

"You mean, by blood, Petunia isn't my aunt?" Harry asked.

Lily nodded.

"That explains why she hated me so much," Harry said.

"It might explain it, but it doesn't justify her actions. Nothing can do that and if I could I would go hex her into oblivion. Sirius, have you done that yet?" Lily asked.

"No, Harry won't let me for some reason. I am not going to wind up in Azkaban for going and hurting your relatives and making them suffer a fraction of what you did. I'm free, remember?"

"I know you're free, but Fudge will take any excuse he can get to put you back in, even if just for a little while, and you're not going back there just because of something my relatives did to me years ago that I've already got over," Harry said firmly.

"So, you're saying that they don't deserve anything to happen to them after what they did to you?" Sirius asked, slightly sarcastic.

"No, but I don't want you to end up in Azkaban since I know I wouldn't be able to handle it, and try to kill myself again no matter how good my life is going! I don't want to do that again, but if you get put in there, even for just like five minutes, I'll crack. I know it and so do you, so drop it," Harry said raising his voice. He sighed, closed his eyes, and leaned against the back of the couch. He heard Sirius move to kneel down in front of him.

Sirius cupped him under the chin forcing him to look him in the eyes. "Harry, that isn't going to happen, I'm never going back to Azkaban, ever. You have nothing to worry about, okay?" Sirius was looking into his eyes. All of Harry's emotions could be displayed so clear through his eyes, which was he avoided locking his gaze with someone else. Harry nodded even thought he wasn't completely reassured.

"Hey, "James said, "has Sirius told you about the prank we pulled on the last day of school?"

They talked into the night and both Harry and Greg fell asleep around one. Sirius didn't try to move them and let them sleep. He went to sleep about two thirty.

The next day was Saturday so none of them had to get up early, otherwise they would have been in trouble. Kirsten and Dustin arrived the next morning and Remus brought them to the room. He stayed for a couple of hours before leaving to get everyone else.  All of the Weasleys attending the school, Kayla, Hermione, and Brittany were all surprised when they heard about the portraits. James asked Kirsten about her boyfriend and when he was going to get to see him. It was obvious Kirsten didn't want them to met, partly because she knew James would threaten him even though he couldn't do anything about it and he was also a portrait.

Harry was staring at Kayla though she hadn't realized it yet. _Wow, she is so beautiful. Maybe I'll ask her out. _Harry shook his head as if to rid his head of these thoughts. _Snap out of it! She's one of your best friends. But, _he argued with himself, _don't some of the longest lasting and best relationship start out as just friends?_

_ Harry, why did you say that some of the best and longest lasting relationships start out as just friends? _

Harry winced. He really hadn't meant for her to hear that.

_ I was just thinking about Ron and Hermione and how when they finally start to date they will have a long lasting relationship. _

_ Oh, okay. _

She didn't sound convinced. Harry saw her grin at him and then telepathically she said, _ So, who's the girl you have a crush on and are just friends with. Surely it isn't Hermione. You yourself said that her and Ron should be together. Is it Ginny? _

_ It isn't Hermione, or Ginny, Kayla. I don't have a crush on anyone. _

_ If you don't have a crush on anyone then why did you say that it wasn't Hermione or Ginny? By saying that you admitted that you have a crush on someone, but it just isn't the ones I mentioned. If you really didn't have a crush on anyone then you would have said that first, and you know I'm right so don't deny it. _

_ You are wrong. I don't have a crush on anyone. You're just misinterpreting what I said and making a big deal out of it. _

_ Whatever. If you're going to refuse that you don't have a crush on someone, I won't bother you right now. But you do have a crush on someone. _

_ I do not. _

Kayla simply ignored him, knowing she was right.

_Now, _she thought to herself, _who does he have a crush on?_

_I have to be more careful. She can't know I have a crush on her until I know she feels the same way. That would be so embarrassing if I asked her out and she didn't want to. It might destroy our friendship, and I really don't want that. Maybe I should talk to Sirius. No, he'd just tease me over it and tell everyone. I know, I can tell Hermione! She would know if Kayla like liked me and she would be better for advice since she's a girl._

Sirius saying his name brought him out of his thoughts. "Are you okay? You've been kind of quiet. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Sirius gave him a look that plainly said he didn't believe him.

"I'm not thinking about anything depressing, or anything like that. This time it's normal teenage stuff that all teenagers think about."

"Yes," Sirius lowered his voice, "so who's the girl you're thinking about? Is she in this room?" Sirius asked grinning.

"I wasn't thinking about a girl," Harry said though his flushed cheeks said otherwise.          

Sirius smiled knowingly and said, "Sure you weren't."

Harry blushed deeper and unconsciously glanced toward Kayla. Sirius followed the quick glance.

"So, its Kayla is it? She's a very pretty girl, but don't ruin your friendship over some teenage crush. Don't pursue a relationship with her until you're sure, alright? I don't want to see your friendship ruined over a simple crush.

Harry nodded. "I had already though of that. Darn it!"

Sirius had grinned even wider when Harry said. He had confirmed that Kayla was the one he had a crush on when he had meant to deny it. Sirius grinned, if possible, even wider and ruffled his hair affectionately before going to talk to Remus.

"Sirius, wait!" Harry called after him. Sirius came back over to him.

"Please don't tell everyone about this."

"I can't tell Remus? He's just as much your guardian as I am."

"I didn't say that, but don't do it here. There are too many people that could over hear and tell her. Please don't tell him here." Harry gave him the puppy dog eyes seeing the glint in Sirius' eyes. Sirius caved. He couldn't say no to Harry when he did the puppy dog eyes.

"All right, I won't tell him here. I will later though."

Harry grinned and nodded.

_I wonder who Harry has a crush on. He wouldn't have a crush on __Brittany__; she has a boyfriend. I'm the only other girl he's really friends with. But he can't have a crush on me. No guys have returned my feelings. It's impossible for him to have a crush on me, isn't it?_

"So," Hermione said bringing Kayla out of her thoughts, "thinking about Harry? I know you like him. Let's just say I heard a little bird say that he likes you to."

Kayla looked at her skeptically. "I don't like him." Hermione gave her a knowing look and she caved.

"Okay, I do like him. But he doesn't like me back."

"Yes, he does. I over heard him and Sirius. Harry admitted that he liked you."

"No way. Are you joking?" Hermione saw the hope in her eyes that she wasn't.

"No, I'm not joking. He really does. Why don't you ask him out? It doesn't have to be the guy that asks the girl out you know."

"I can't ask him out! What if he says no?"

"He won't say no, I promise. And if he does I'll convince him to change his mind. Come on ask him out. And I am not going to do it for you. If you want to go out with him you have to ask him out," Hermione said firmly.

_Just because I won't ask him out for her doesn't mean I can't set them up. _

She began making a plan then to get her two best friends together.

Ethan woke up feeling tired and depressed. He knew what had happened. He had gone somewhere and had given a warning to someone in the wizarding world.

_I really wish this wouldn't happen. I wonder where I went this time and what I said._

He closed his eyes and starting breathing slowly and deeply. He knew where he went and what he said would come to him in a minute. When it did he sat bolt upright, opened his eyes and his breathing quickened.

_Oh no, that can't be true. Hogwarts is on a whole different continent, I've never gone that far before. And Harry, oh no. That's going to complicate his life so much. I wish I didn't have this. Maybe I convince mom to let me stay out of school today. I'll call Amy later and talk to her about it and she what she thinks about it._

"Harry!" Hermione yelled running towards him. "I found it! I found it! I found the diary!"

Harry ran toward her and took the diary out her hands. They went outside so no one would disturb them. Harry started to leaf through the diary looking for the right the page with the potion.


	18. The Lost Potion

**Chapter Eighteen: The Lost Potion**

"Amy, what am I going to do? I have to get to Hogwarts somehow and talk to, I … man, I can not believe that is true! How can anyone be more evil than Voldemort?" he asked his best friend, Amy, over the phone.

"I don't know how it can be true, but everything else you've ever said has been true, so we have to assume this is too. Are you going to be at school tomorrow?"

They both attended a wizarding school in Paris, France, but unlike Hogwarts, it wasn't a boarding school. They had to be there at a quarter till seven and got out at twenty five after two. They students were mainly English speaking though all could speak French fluently.  Most of the students had moved over to Paris form an English speaking country. Ethan had moved from Surrey, and Amy from Edinburgh.  Amy's mother was a witch, her father a muggle. Ethan's parents were a witch and wizard though they lived in a muggle neighborhood and had muggle devices in their home, like a telephone for example.

"I don't want it to be true. It can't be true, it just can't be," he said desperately into the phone. "I'll be at school tomorrow, "he added remembering her question.

"Good, I hate it when you're not there; I have no one to talk to. I don't want it to be true either, but it most likely is and we need to get prepared to help fight, not denying it," she said firmly. "Listen, I have to go. Talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah, later, bye."

They both hung up the phone and Ethan went downstairs as he heard his mother call him.

"Here it is," Harry said breathlessly. Hermione and he, who were sitting beside him on the ground under the shade of a tree, started to read the diary entry.

_Dear Diary,_

_I was looking up some stuff for extra credit in potions and ran across this potion. It says that when taken by someone who has achieved immortality, or partial immortality, it will take it away and they can be killed by the killing curse. I'm not sure why, but I'm going to copy down the list of ingredients and how to make it. The book said it was an ancient potion and the original title had been lost so it's called The Lost Potion._

_1. Three four-leaf clover___

_2. One lily flower_

_3. A strand of hair from a stag_

_4. Three petals from the Gold Flower_

_5. Eye of newt_

_6. Fingernail clipping of a werewolf in his/her transformed shape_

_7. Two cups of water from the __Nile__River___

_8. One strand of hair from the person who is supposed to drink it_

_The book said that only the person destined to kill the drinker of the potion can gather the ingredients. If someone else does it, the potion won't work.  He/ she can have someone help them to get to the places to get the ingredients, but they have to be the actual one to get them and help with setting the ingredients out for the potion, but other than that they're on their own. _

There was more written there, but Harry didn't read it.

_How in the world am I supposed to get one of Voldemort's hairs? And fingernail clippings of a werewolf in their transformed state? There's Remus, of course, but even with the Wolfsbane potion I don't think he could kee[ his mind long enough to get fingernail clippings. Three four-leaf clovers? I've never even found one! A lily, easy, eye of newt, easy, but there petals of he Gold Flower? I've never even heard of that. One strand of hair form a stag… I'm sure Hagrid could help me with that._

Hermione addressing him brought him out of his thoughts. "Harry, can I turn the page now? I need to read about how to finish making it since you're obviously aren't reading it." Harry nodded.

"Tell me what it says, will you? I stopped reading after the list of what you need to make it." Hermione nodded her head and finished reading a minute later.

"You have to put them in the potion in this order when you make it: two cups of water from the Nile River, fingernail clippings of a werewolf in their transformed state, three petals from the Gold Flower, three four-leaf clovers, a lily, a strand of hairs from a stag, and finally the hair of the one who is going to drink it. You let the water come to a boil, stir clockwise for five minutes, and then add the fingernail clippings. Stir clockwise for five minutes again. It should be white then; bring it down to a simmer and then add the next thing. You do the same thing for each ingredient. As you add each ingredient it will turn form white to different shades of gray until when you're finished it should be pitch black. It has to be brewed on the full moon after you get the fingernail clippings, which means you have a month to get everything you need. Also, you have to get them in the order they have to be put in the potion. We have to know where everything is and how to get there before and make sure we can get it within a month before trying to get the fingernail clippings. And even if we know where everything is, it will be hard to get it all. You can't apparate, or port key within five miles of the Nile River. The ancient Egyptians did that to ward off opposing armies in war and I have no clue where the Gold Flower is, but my guess is that it will be as equally challenging."

"So," Harry said, "what you're saying is that it's virtually impossible to do. Why try then? Let's just forget about it, and let Voldemort kill everyone. We're not going to be able to get the ingredients, and I'm not going to defeat Voldemort so I might as well kill myself now. I'm going to die when I fight Voldemort, so why not go ahead and end it now?" he said loudly, frustrated. All was silent until Hermione said quietly,

"You don't mean that; you're just frustrated and not thinking rationally. We can find all the ingredients, and you can fight Voldemort without dying in the process. Please don't say that you should die now simply because you think you're going to die when you fight Voldemort because it isn't true. Please don't say that you would be better off dead even if you're just frustrated. You know it's not true," Hermione said quietly.

"I can't help it. I'm sorry if it scared you, but with everything sometimes I can't help, but think like that, even with Sirius back and all of you guys here to help me. Even if I hadn't tried to kill myself this summer, I think I would still be thinking like this. I'm not actually going to try to commit suicide again. That the difference, Hermione. I still think about it sometimes, and say it, but it's not an option. Every time I think about it the rational part on my brain says that I can get through it with help, and I'm okay." Hermione gave him a skeptical look. "Well not completely okay, but I'm not like I was during the summer. When that happens I'll go talk to Sirius, or play chess with him, or Remus and I forget about it. I don't actually see it as an option to get away from my problems like I did during the summer. I don't ever actually consider doing it. During the summer that was the only thing I thought about and saw it as the only thing to do. I don't think like that anymore, okay? I'm sorry if I scared you."

"You did scare me, Harry. I don't want to think about it if you're not here. And I know you're not going to do it, but please don't even say it. At least try not to say okay?" Harry nodded. "So when are you going to ask Kayla out?" she said changing the subject.

"I don't know, what-" Harry groaned and closed his eyes. He had fallen right into her trap. "How do you now I like her?"

"I overheard you and Sirius talking," she said grinning wickedly. "She likes you too, you know. She would really like to have you as a boyfriend."

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not. She really would like to have you as a boyfriend. Why don't you ask her out?

Harry shook his head and changed the subject. "Isn't it weird that my mum was adopted?"

Hermione sighed. She could tell that he wasn't going to talk about Kayla. "Yes, it is weird though it does explain your aunt's behavior somewhat. I don't know why your aunt kept you if they weren't related. It doesn't really make sense."

Harry frowned. "You're right. It doesn't really make sense. Let's go ask her why and see if she knows anything about this 'Gold flower.' "

Fifteen minutes later they were seated in front of Lily Potter's portrait. "Mum, why did Aunt Petunia keep me if you to aren't related? It doesn't make sense."

"When I had first arrived Petunia thought it was going to be great to have a sister.  We were talking one night about if we wanted to marry, or have kids and we both promised on out family's honor tthat if something happened to us we would take care of each other's kids. In our neighborhood it was a big thing if you promised on your family's honor. Petunia grew up listening to stories of what had happened to families that had promised something, then broke it, and all the horrible things that had happened. She told me all the stories and I believed them. We were about seven then, and very gullible. We wrote it down on paper and she must have remembered that promise and kept it. I'm sure Dumbledore had something to do with convincing her to keep you. Does that answer your question?" Harry nodded. "Did you find my diary?"

Harry and Hermione both nodded. "It looks almost impossible to make. I really don't know how we're going to do it," Harry said voice sounding defeated. Harry read off the list of ingredients and how to make it. "Do you know anything about the Gold flower?"

"The name sounds familiar, but I don't remember anything about it. I'm sure you'll be able to get everything together in the space of a month. With the Wolfsbane potion Remus can keep his head for you to get the fingernail clippings, and if necessary, someone could give him a sedative before he transforms, or while he's transformed so he'll be asleep, and you don't have to worry about him scratching, or biting you. Snape could get Voldemort's hair one way, or another. Talk to Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore and all your teachers. I'm sure they'll have suggestion for you. I think you should ask Snape and Professor Sprout about the Gold flower. One of them might now. I know it sounds like it's impossible to make, but you'll be able to," she said trying to reassure him. She could tell that it didn't work. They talked a little more before leaving.

They got everyone to meet in Dumbledore's office and then told everyone about the potion.

Looking around the room Harry asked, "Do any of you know anything about the Gold flower?"

Dumbledore spoke up. "I have heard of it, but don't remember very much. I believe it grows in the canopy of the Amazon Rainforest. Give me a couple days and I'll give you more information on it. I'll talk to Severus, and we'll come up with a plan of how to get one of Voldemort's hairs. I advise talking to Professor Sprout; she might know about the Gold flower and where to get four leaf clovers. I'll speak to the inner circle of the Order about it and see what we come up with.

"Thank you so much, sir."

"There's no need to thank me. I'm just as anxious to see Voldemort gone as you are."

Greg and Brittany had snuck out of Hogwarts after Harry had told them about the potion and had gone to the Three Broomsticks. They were sharing a Butter Beer and talking about miscellaneous things.

_Brittany__ is so different from Hermione. I can't believe they're sisters; they're the complete opposite of each other._

"Do you think we'll get in trouble?" Brittany asked.

Greg shook his head. "We never have before. No one is expecting us to be anywhere and as long as no one notices us missing we'll be fine. This is what the fifth or sixth time we've done this?"

"Sixth. We need to be careful though; last time we almost got caught."

_Maybe they're not complete opposites._

"Almost being the key word. Do you want to leave? We can if you want to."

"No, I don't want to leave I just don't want to get in trouble because then they would probably only let us see each other during class and at meals. Sirius probably wouldn't let you sleep in the common room. And we'd get detention with Snape, or Filch depending on how mad he and Dumbledore are. Are you sure no one outside of Hogwarts knows about the tunnel besides Fred and George?"

"I'm positive. It's not like any Death Eaters are going to be able to get in there if that's what you're thinking. Was that what you were thinking?"

She smiled guiltily at him. "Yes, that was what I was thinking." She looked at her watch. "We better be heading back." They got up and left the pub already having paid for their drinks.

A person came out of the shadows and left the pub unnoticed. He followed the teens into the Shrieking Shack taking note of how they got out and where they said the tunnel came out.

He grinned. Master would reward him for this information.


	19. Homemade chocolate cheesecake

**Chapter Nineteen: Homemade Chocolate Cheesecake**

"How am I going to get to Hogwarts?" Brian asked his friend Amy. They were at school eating lunch.

"I don't know how you're going to get to Hogwarts for the hundredth time," she said and sighed.

"The only way to get into it is by taking the Hogwarts express, but to do that we'd have to get to London and then to Platform 9 ¾. We wouldn't be able to cross the sea would we? Without our parents knowing?" Brian said thinking aloud.

"I don't know. But one thing I do know is that once you put your mind to something you do it no matter what. Can we talk about this later so I can eat?" Brian nodded and returned to his own food.

Tom Riddle, more commonly known as Lord Voldemort, looked at his Death Eater pleased. When he spoke it was quietly, but the Death Eater heard him nonetheless. "You have done a very good job, Malfoy. We will be able to get into the school before Dumbledore realizes what has happened. When he does realize it will be too late."

"Master, do you want me to tell the others my discovery and when you think we will be able to attack?"

"Not yet, Malfoy. Do not tell the others and we are not going to attack just yet. I need to run some tests, see how long the tunnel is and where it comes out. We will have some fun before we actually attack."

Harry was playing chess with Sirius when he got Voldemort's feeling of accomplishment. "Sirius?"

"What?"

"Voldemort's just accomplished something. Something really big, I can tell."

"Are you sure?" He had locked his gaze with Harry and his eyes were serious. Harry noticed that his skin was a shade lighter than it normally was.

"Positive."

Sirius sighed. "Come on then. We'll go tell Dumbledore."

"I do not what Voldemort could have accomplished. I will talk to Severus about it later and see if he knows anything about it." Harry and Sirius both nodded. "For now we will have to wait and see. Harry, I found the book with the information about the Gold Flower in it." He opened took a book off his desk and handed it to Harry. I marked the place for you. I was right in saying that it grows in the canopy of the Amazon Rainforest. You can not apparate into the forest and you'll have to climb up the trees in order to get the flower. Normally you would have a harness on incase you fell, but since you're not supposed to climb the trees you won't be able to have one. You will have shoes with shark spikes on the bottom so you can climb the tree easier. We'll give you thick gloves that will be spelled to stick to the tree so you will have assistance in climbing, but you won't have a harness."

Harry's mouth was hanging open. Climb a tree in the Amazon Rainforest without a harness? What if he fell? He wasn't even good at climbing trees. Harry put his head in his hands. Sirius reached over and rubbed his back.

"I know it sounds impossible, but you're strong and will be able to do it. The flower has a total of six petals. You must pull off three and then climb down. Would either of you like a piece of chocolate cheesecake? My grand daughter made it sent it to me. It's really delicious." Harry lifted his head out his hands to look at his headmaster. "I know it's an abrupt change of subject, but I just remembered that I haven't eaten any of yet and thought I would offer a piece to you. Do you want one?"

"Um, sure, we'll both have a piece," Sirius said.

Harry leaned back against the chair and sighed. "This is impossible. This whole thing is impossible. I'll never get all the ingredients for the potion. I can't climb trees. What happens if I fall? Everything in the world is impossible."

Sirius sighed. "No, it's not. You will be able to get all the stuff for the potion, make it, and defeat Voldemort. Nothing is impossible. If you fall someone will be there to catch you before you hit the ground.

"Not everything is possible. Bringing the dead back to life is impossible. If you could bring back the dead I would have done it a long time ago. If that was possible my parents would be here."

"Okay so not everything is possible. I'm trying to cheer you up but you're not working with me. Once you set your mind to something, besides bringing the dead back to live, you can do it. I know you will since you won't quit until you've succeeded."

Harry sighed, but didn't comment. Dumbledore came back over then with three plates with a large piece of homemade chocolate cheesecake on it. He put one piece on his desk, giving Harry and Sirius the other two. Harry picked up the fork, cut a piece out of the delicious pie, and took a bite. The blend of cheesecake, chocolate and something he couldn't identify was delicious. He finished that piece and then had four more large pieces. Dumbledore's granddaughter had made a four pies and sent all of them. Harry ate one all by himself.

"Sirius?"

"What?"

"I don't feel so good." His stomach was hurting badly.

"Well I would think so since you just ate a whole homemade chocolate cheesecake by yourself.  I would be surprised if your stomach wasn't hurting." Harry's response was a moan. "I'm going to get him back downstairs before he throws up," Sirius said chuckling. "Come on, get up," Sirius said standing in front of Harry. Harry simply held his arms out for Sirius to pull him up. Sirius shook his head and pulled the teen up.

Harry fell asleep once they got back to Sirius' quarters and woke up just in time for supper. He didn't fell like eating but wanted to talk to his friends so he went. For desert they had chocolate cheesecake.


	20. Occulmency

**Chapter Twenty: Occulmency **

Crabbe prepared to jump out of his hiding place and grab the unsuspecting girl walking through the lawns of Hogwarts. As she passed the statue, he sprang out, covered her mouth, and dragged her down into the secret passageway, taking her out of the safety of Hogwarts.

Harry sat bolt upright in bed, pale and sweaty. He got out of bed and went into his godfather's room to wake him up. Harry shook Sirius's shoulders to wake him up.

"Harry, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Sirius asked instantly awake when he saw his godson's pale face.

"I saw a Death Eater, I think it was Crabbe, grab a girl and take her into the passageway that comes out in the shrieking shack. I know it could be something that Voldemort sent, but it felt like it was real. Can we go and see if there are any traces of someone being in the tunnel? Wait, I'll be right back." With that said he dashed out of the room. He flung open his trunk and took out the Marauder's Map. He found the passageway, but no one was in it. Momentary relief washed over him.

_At least it wasn't real. Or maybe they had already got off school grounds when I looked, and some girl is soon going to be in Voldemort's clutches!                                   _

Harry groaned and put his head in his hands. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, but didn't look up knowing it was Sirius.

"Get up, Harry, I'll fix us either some tea, or hot chocolate. Which do you want?" Harry sighed again. He didn't want any tea, or hot chocolate. He wanted to know if the dream was true, or not. He knew Sirius wouldn't let him think until he told him which he wanted.

"Hot chocolate," he answered dully and got up from the floor. Sirius nodded, and left the room with Harry behind him. 

Five minutes later they were seated in front of the fire in the living room. Harry sipped his drink, thinking.

"Harry, starting tomorrow you're going to have Occulmency lessons with Snape twice a week at six in the evening." Harry stared at him. This has to be a joke.

"You're joking right? You're just trying to get my mind off the nightmare aren't you?"

"No, I'm not joking. I talked to him, and he agreed to begin lessons again. It took some persuasion form Dumbledore to convince him to do it, but he had agreed."

"WHAT? I CAN'T HAVE LESSONS WITH HIM AGAIN! WHY WOULD YOU LET ME?"

Sirius flinched. "I'm going to be in the next room while you have the lessons-"

"How is you being in the next room going to help me?" he asked annoyingly. Sirius let his tone of voice slid this time.

"The room has a two-way mirror so I will be able to see what he is doing, and make sure he doesn't go overboard. I know how much you can handle better than he does, and will came and get you when I know that you can't do anymore, or are almost to where you can't if he hasn't already said you can go. I know you don't want to go, I'm not happy with it myself, but you can't keep having these nightmares. You know it's important to not have these nightmares, and I know you don't want to have them anymore."

"Can't I have lessons with someone besides Snape?" he asked in a slightly whiney tone.

"The only other person who can teach Occulmency is Dumbledore, but he explained why he wouldn't be able to teach you correct?" Harry nodded. "The only other person is Snape."

"I'm not going," he said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes, you are. I will walk to the dungeons tomorrow, watch the lesson through the two-way mirror, and then escort you back here," Sirius said firmly.

"I'm not going and you can't make me."

"You are going and I can to make you. I am you godfather, and legal guardian, and you will do as I say. You are having lesson with him tomorrow whether you like it or not. End of discussion." Harry sighed and scowled darkly at the fire.

_I'm not going. I don't care what he says; I'm not going._

Harry had his arms crossed tightly over his chest, scowling.

"Potter, you know how this goes. Clear you mind, or at least try to, and we'll see how good you are blocking me. _Legilimens__!"___

He was six, and his uncle was hitting him for something… He was twelve, and the Dursley's were starving him… Cho was drawing near him…

He was still standing up, but his legs felt like water. He collapsed into one of the chairs in the classroom. After a minute he stood up again. Snape was giving him an odd look; have pity and half bewilderment. "What?" he asked seeing the look on his face.

"Nothing, let's try again. On the count of three… one- two- three- _Legilimens__!"_

Cedric's blank eyes stared up at him… Sirius fell through the veil… him with a knife in his hand…

Harry felt the floor underneath him and, then an instant later, heard Sirius's voice telling him to get up, that the lesson was over. Harry shakily got to his feet, and left the classroom leaning heavily on his godfather.

Harry slept through the rest of the evening and night. Sirius kept a very close watch on him knowing he would be very vulnerable for Voldemort even when awake. Harry had other thoughts on his minds than Voldemort. He was thinking of Kayla.

_If what Hermione said was true, and that she would like to have me as a boyfriend, then she won't say no will she?_

_Well there's only one why to find out._

_ Kayla? _

_ What Harry _

He took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and thought to her:

_ Will you go out with me? _


	21. Plans

**Chapter Twenty-One: Plans**

_What? _

Harry took a deep breath before asking again.

_ Will you go out with me? _

He held his breath waiting. _Please say yes, please say yes, _he thought desperately to himself.

_ You want to go out with me? _

She sounded like it was as impossible as bringing the dead back to life.

_ Umm… yes. Will you? _

_ You really want to go out with me? Seriously? You're not joking? _

_ Why would I joke about something like this? _

_ I dunno, but I just didn't expect it in the middle of class, or really at all. _

_ I'm sorry I asked in the middle of class, but if I didn't I knew I wouldn't have enough courage to do it later. _

_Man, _Harry thought, _why did I tell her that? And why did I ever ask her out?_

_ Harry? _

_ What? _

_ Yes. _

_Really? You will? _

Know he was the one making it sound impossible.

_ Yes, really. I like you more than just a friend. I didn't think you liked me the same way. Hermione said you did, but I didn't believe her. _

_ She told me that you like me, but I didn't believe her either. Well, not at first anyway. _

_ Crap. Professor McGonagall is coming over. I'll talk to you later. Bye! _

Harry lay down on his bed, grinning from ear to ear. She had said yes. She had actually said yes!!!

His happy thoughts were interrupted when Sirius poked his head and said, "Kirsten and Dustin are here. What happened?"

Harry hoped off the bed, still grinning from ear to ear. He debated for about a half a second if he should tell Sirius. "She said yes."

"Kayla? I didn't even know you had asked her out," he said with a slight smile on his lips.

"I just asked her a second ago. She said yes! I didn't think she would, but she did!" He grinned bigger if it was possible.

Harry's grin was contagious, and soon Kirsten and Dustin were grinning for no apparent reason.

But Dustin and Kirsten both knew why they were grinning, really. It was seeing Harry being so happy, rejoicing that he was alive. Smiles and laughs had still been few from him, but seeing him this happy made them believe that someday, a very long away, he would be okay.

_I should be made at you, _Kayla wrote on a piece of paper in Charms, _for playing match maker, but I'm not. _She passed the note across to Hermione, who was sitting beside her.  She watched as her eyes scanned the paper. She wrote something then passed it back.

_Did he ask you out? Did you say yes? I didn't think he would have the courage to do it._

She wrote back, _I didn't even think he liked me. He said he asked me during class because he knew he wouldn't have enough courage to do if he didn't do it then. I don't think he meant to say, think, that, but anyway I said yes. Why do you think I'm smiling like this?_

Hermione placed the paper skillfully so it looked like she was taking notes on what Flitwick was talking about instead of about Harry and Kayla,  _I__ noticed you smiling, but didn't think much of it._

They didn't get a chance to pass any more notes because they know had to do the spell that Flitwick was having them practice. They struggled for a few minutes not knowing what spell they were supposed to be doing, but figured it out from hearing their classmates say the incantation.

"What's you name?" Voldemort said quietly, and silently rejoicing as he saw the girl shudder.

"Sarah," she said her voice shaking.

"Sarah what? You did not supply me with a last name."

"Dursley. Sarah Dursley," she said giving the name of her biological father instead of the name her foster parents had given her.                                                                 

"Dursley? Are you of any relation to Vernon, or Petunia Dursley?" he said, eyes narrowed, suspicious.

"M-my parents, I mean my f-f-foster parents, said that Vernon Dursley is my biological father.

Voldemort blinked. Someone had finally surprised the Dark Lord.

"What about your mother?"

"They never knew who she was," she said quietly almost in tears.

"_Crucio__."___

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, deep in thought. Through his connections with the castle he could tell that someone had entered the grounds through one of the passageways. He could tell that two had left when one had entered. Sarah Porter hadn't been in classes, and was not in the infirmary.

He picked up the note that he had found when returning to his office after dinner.

_Dumbledore,_

_How are you going to protect your school, and your students, now?_

It was signed with the Dark Mark.

Ethan leaned back on the bed, relieved. Together he and Amy had just enough money to make the journey to Platform 9 ¾. They were going to get to the platform a day or so earlier to be sure they were there when the train left to pick up the kids going home for Christmas. They had checked train times and the times for the ferry that would take them across the English Channel to London.

They last thing was to write a letter to their parents saying where they were going. He was starting on that now as he knew it would be difficult to write. He knew that something big was about it happen. He had been having more dreams recently about Voldemort and, knew he was planning something big, and that Hogwarts was at the heart of it. He planned to be there when whatever it was happened.


	22. Two Cups of Water and Fingernails

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Two cups of Water and Fingernails**

Harry staggered as his feet slammed into solid ground. He squinted and looked around. They were standing in an alley, but that didn't give relief from the glaring sun overhead. He felt a light tap on the head. A second later he could look around without squinting.

"Thanks, Sirius. It sure makes things a lot easier."

They walked out into one of the numerous market places near the Nile River.

"Stay close," Sirius said quietly. "You never know who can be here, Death Eater or not."

Harry nodded absently, looking around at what people were selling. He was reminded of the time when he had first came to Diagon Alley, and found himself wishing he had about ten more pairs of eyes. Most of what he saw was pleasant enough, but one man was selling what looked like shrunken human, and non-human, heads.

"Are you sure we're in the muggle part?" he said quietly to Sirius.

"Yeah, why?" He pointed at the stand. "Some of their customs are very different from ours."

He was about to respond, but as they turned a corner everything suddenly fell silent. The sun still shone mercilessly overhead, and Harry didn't have any sense of real danger, but everyone was silent. There were stands set up with men and women behind them selling things in bags to people. The seller handed the customer a bag, accepted the bag, and then the customer left usually looking over his or her shoulder. Sirius gripped Harry's arm in a silent warning to stay close. He dropped his arm after a few seconds.

Harry tried to tell what they were selling, but all were made quickly. He felt someone grip his arm and assumed it was Sirius. He continued walking, thinking nothing of it until he was jerked back and fell. He twisted, trying to jerk free, but the person wouldn't let go. He turned to see who had him. He stared into the eyes of a women covered from head to toe. Time seemed to stand still. The only thing that existed was the helplessness look in her eyes.

_Help me._

Harry blinked startled as the word floated across his brain, still staring into the women's eyes as if in a trance.

_Please, help me. I'm trapped. Please._

He tried to say something back, but couldn't.

_Concentrate. Please, you have to help me._

Harry concentrated hard. _Why do you need help? Who has you trapped?_

He gasped, blinked, and put his hand over his know stinging cheek. "Why did you do that?" he asked Sirius with accusation in his voice. "Where's that women? She said she needed…" he trailed off looking around him. They were no longer in the silent street, but on the side of a very noisy and busy one. "What happened?"

"I don't know what happened. Some women grabbed you and ever since then you've been in some kind of trance, and none of us get you to respond to us. I'm sorry I slapped you, but I knew that sometimes worked. Are you okay?" Sirius said hands on Harry's shoulders, concern in his voice.

He nodded, hand still over his stinging cheek. "Are you sure? You don't have a headache, or anything?"

"No, I feel fine, just confused," Harry answered looking around him. Sirius looked at him a second longer before draping a protective arm over his shoulders. Harry could feel someone's eyes on him, and looked around. He met Snape's gaze. He was giving him an unreadable look that sent shivers up his spine.

"Sirius, why wasn't anyone talking on the street with the woman?

"All of the people here believe that if you talk in the presence of someone selling drugs that you're sure to die the next day."

Harry blinked. "They were selling drugs?"

Sirius nodded. "Every kind imaginable."

"Why doesn't the government shut them down?"

"There's too many of them. There are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of streets like that in the country. They're also scared. The sellers know secret ways to get into any place practically. If they government shut down one part some one from some other part would come, put poison in their food, and kill them. It might not be just the government officials either. Usually only druggies go down there, but some people do if they don't want to take the long way. We went since, as you know, we have to get this done as quickly as possible. We have to back to get the clippings from Remus."

Harry nodded. He knew they had to be back soon. Snape had reported that Voldemort was planning on attacking soon, within the next month or so. They had immediately made plans to star gathering things for the potion. They were going to give Remus a tranquilizer once he had transformed so there wasn't a chance that he would flip out and try to hurt Harry. Dumbledore said he had a plan to get the hair from Voldemort. He had said he would have to do a little convincing, or blackmail, but was confident he would get the tool he needed. He hadn't told them what it was in case for some reason it didn't work.

"When you said we were riding in a car to get to the river, I thought you meant an actual car not a piece of junk," Harry said looking disdainfully at the beat up jeep that he could see a few feet away.

"It looks like that so not to draw attention to it. It's perfectly safe and very reliable. It can travel over ruff ground easily. Don't worry so much. That's my job," Sirius said smiling at him.

"Too bad Dustin couldn't come," Harry said as he climbed in the jeep. "He would love it." Harry wasn't sure why, but his older brother seemed to love beat up cars and jeeps. Kirsten and Dustin had originally planned to come along, but something had come up, leaving Harry with Sirius and Snape. Neither of them was too happy about, but was willing to at least tolerate each other for one day if it meant the end of the Dark Lord.

Talking ceased as the car rode over the sand, a lot of it getting into the car. Harry closed his eyes as a wave of sand entered and hit him in the face. He rubbed the sand of his face and fanned his shirt trying to get it out from beneath it. At least he had on a hat.

They drove for nearly and hour before coming within about 200 feet of the river band. They thanked the driver and got out of the car, dusting off.

Harry had talked to his mother not long after finding the potion, and she remembered that you had to get the water from where the river flowed into the ocean.

He blinked at the surface of the water, shimmering from the bright sunlight. He bent down and filled the water bottle he had. He stood and grinned at the two men standing behind him. "Time to go back now," Snape said and let the way back to jeep.

"Are we going to have to go back through the street where they were selling drugs?"

"Unfortunately. It'll take a day if we take the long way. Don't look any of them in the eye and stay close, understand?"

Harry nodded, surprised by the sudden sternness in his voice. "When I was in that trance, or whatever it was, the woman was asking me for help. She said she was trapped. She was almost begging me to help her. She said if I concentrated I could talk to her. I asked her why she needed help and who had trapped her, but you slapped me before I could get any answers."

"You talked to her, in your mind?" Sirius said alarm in his voice, face pale.

"Why does it matter?" Harry asked puzzled. He became even more confused as Snape handed Sirius an alcohol swab and a syringe. Sirius ripped open the alcohol swab and quickly swabbed a spot on Harry's upper arm. "Wait, why do I have to have a shot?" he asked putting his hand over the place Sirius had swabbed, muscles tense.

Before he realized it Sirius had gripped his arm tightly, and Snape had ran the needle into his arm. The car came to a stop, the driver seeing what was going on in the back seat. Harry tried to jerk his arm away, but Sirius's grip was too tight. "Stay still, Harry," Sirius commanded. Memories rose uninvited of what his uncle has done to him making seconds seem like hours.

Snape pulled the needle out, and Sirius releases his arm. Harry placed his hand over where he got the injection rubbing it, feeling a small round band-aid. "What was that for?" he asked angry. "No, you're not, ow, giving me another shot!" he said as Snape swabbed a spot on his calf and injected the needle, and Sirius gripped his leg.

Harry felt like he was five again, helpless and at his uncle's mercy. He tried desperately to free his leg, but it was futile. Harry moved his leg as Snape pulled the needle out and Sirius released him. He stared at his lap, trying to push the back the memories that had arose.

"Harry, since you talked to her she would have entrance into your mind and body. She could, and would, make you sick enough so that you died in twenty-four hours. The medicine in the shots will prevent that from happening. We had to give them to you. They shouldn't have hurt that much even though you were tense. Why did you try to jerk away?"

"I don't like shots," he answered shortly, anger evident in his voice. Sirius sighed and didn't say any more.

After ten minutes Snape told the driver to stop. "I thought we had to go back the way we came?"

"We're going to port-key from here. You're not going to be able walk very well. It swells up and it affects your muscles," Sirius said pointing where Snape had given him the injection on his leg. It was slightly red and already badly swollen. Harry scooted across the seat to get out. He stepped out and his gave way beneath him. Sirius caught him before he fell.

They all put a finger on the newspaper Snape had and landed in Dumbledore's office. Sirius guided Harry to a chair and started to tell about what had happened.

Harry had fallen asleep in Dumbledore's office after only about five minutes. Sirius had carried him back to his bed and let him sleep. He woke around dinner time.

He flinched as he saw the tranquilizer go into the werewolf, remembering his own shots. He hadn't told Sirius why he hated getting shots so much and didn't plan on ever telling him.

Snape motioned to him and he walked toward the now sleeping Remus Lupin. He quickly clipped his fingernails and left the room with Snape.

Tomorrow they would be going to the Amazon to get the petals from the Gold Flower and the three, four leaf clovers. Harry went back to his room and decided to have an early night. Tomorrow was going to be a grueling day.

****


	23. Deceptions

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Deceptions **

James's portrait self blinked, staring at his wife incredulously. "I'm sorry; I must have something in my ear. What did you say?"

"James, you know what I said," Lily replied in a quiet voice.

"Why?"

Lily finally looked into James's eyes for the first time she had started to explain thirty minutes ago. She looked back down at her lap after only a few seconds unable to stand the look of hurt and betrayal. "I… I don't know. I'm sorry."

"Are you sure that he's Harry's father and I'm not? Have you done a DNA test?"

"When he was four months old. It's him, James, not you. I should have told you sooner-"

"You should have told me the minute that you suspected that there might be a question on who his father was. You shouldn't have even done it!" James said voice rising, making Lily flinch. "How am I supposed to trust you now? And Sirius, oh wait until I get a hold of him."

"He doesn't know," Lily said in a whisper, but James heard nonetheless.

"He doesn't know? You never told him he was Harry's father?" James replied flabbergasted.

"I had been planning on telling everyone after I found you for sure," James snorted," but it never seemed like it was the right time."

"There isn't a right time to tell someone something like this. You just go ahead and tell them when you find out, not sixteen years later," James said in a hurt voice. "What about Kirsten and Dustin? Am I their father, or did cheat on me with Sirius then to?"

Lily flinched at his words even though she knew he had every right to say it. "No, you're their father."

James sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Then we have to get Sirius here and tell him."

"Keep you eyes closed. No peeking," Harry said from behind Kayla, hands over her eyes.

"I'm not trying to peek, Harry," she replied innocently.

"I can feel your eyelashes against my hand, and you're opening you eyes trying to peek," Harry said matter-of-factly.

"So? If you would tell me what was going on, or hurry up and get there, I wouldn't have to try to peek." Harry could hear the smile in her voice.

"We're almost there. About five more minutes."

"Harry, why not just tell me?" Kayla said in a whiny tone. "I'm going to find out in a few minutes any way."

"Exactly, so you can wait a couple of minutes."

"No, I can't. I'm impatience, you know that," she laughed. "Harry, pl-"

The word died on her lips as Harry removed his hands and she looked around in awe.

They were somewhere on school grounds, neither were sure where, surrounded by lush green trees, beautiful flowers, mostly roses, of every kind imaginable. They were standing on a floor of pink, red, yellow, and even black rose petals. There were twinkling lights flying all over the place; Kayla suspected they were fairies.  She could hear a dove cooing off in the distance. She turned to Harry, still taking in all around her.

"How did you find this place?" she asked quietly as if talking to loud could destroy the quiet serenity and beauty of the place.

"My dad told me about it. He proposed to my mum here," he replied taking her hand, leading her farther in. Kayla didn't say a word simply letting Harry lead her. They walked in silence until they came to edge of a vast lake.

"Sunset," she whispered awe struck at the swirling pinks, purples, and oranges painting the sky. "This is so beautiful. I didn't think you would remember that I liked sun sets so much."

"I remember everything you've ever said me," Harry replied pulling her close, looking into her eyes.

A tingle of excitement went down her spine. She could fell Harry's breath on her lips, inches away.

"You're much more beautiful than the sun set, and you'll be even more beautiful once I'm finished with you, and you're on my side," Harry replied, voice becoming gruffer and deeper as he spoke, holding Kayla tighter.

Fear gripped her as his face started to change, beginning with his eyes. She struggled against his hold, but that only made him hold tighter.

"You'll never escape me now, pretty," he whispered in her ear, his stale, hot breath smelling of death and decay. "Look at my eyes," he commanded. Kayla struggled, but it was futile. Without lifting a hand he forced her to look into her eyes. When she did, she let out a blood curling scream, praying that someone would hear her, though she didn't believe anyone would. He laughed as she screamed, knowing the horrors she saw in his eyes.

Harry paced in front of the abandoned Charms classroom. Kayla had promised to meet him here at eight and it was already eight-thirty. He stopped his pacing and leaned against the wall exhausted. They had gone to the Amazon rain forest to get the petals of the Gold flower. The climb had been excruciating and draining, but he had got the petals. He had considered not coming to meet her, but they hadn't had much chance to talk in the past couple of days with him getting potion ingredients and her attending class. He resumed his pacing, starting to get worried.

He stopped abruptly as he was over come by sheer terror.

_ Kayla? _

No answer.

_ Kayla? _

Again no answer. He called again, screaming it over their connection, but she never answered. The more he tried to talk to her, the more panicked he became. He ran towards the Gryffindor common room, but never reached it. Half way there he ran into the woman he had seen in Egypt. He made the mistake of looking into her eyes, becoming lost in her eyes. He didn't know anything else. He wouldn't hear Sirius frantically calling his name, or the screams of agony and despair that would come in a few hours time.


	24. Phillip Riddle

**Chapter Twenty- Four: Philip Riddle**

For several seconds all Harry knew was darkness. As the time wore on images started flashing past him at an alarming rate. An instant later he was painfully aware of a bitter cold wind slapping against his face, and the sensation of his stomach in his throat from being hurtled through space at a great speed. His head throbbed with every second that passed making him even lighter headed. The speed increased as did the images flying by him, becoming even more indistinct than before. All he could see was a blur of color all around him. He no longer knew which was up, down, right, or left. The wind became so cold, and his head throbbing so much, that his mind blocked out the pain. The still functional part of his brain told him to close his eyes, but that simple task was now impossible.

He fell hard. His head started spinning as the pain in his head came back. It was several seconds later before he realized he was lying on grass. He heard voices, but they were muffled and sounded far away. His mind seemed to be moving slowly. He winced as a scream split the air. Through the pain he recognized Kayla's voice. He slowly raised his head and looked around. His vision was blurry, but cleared in a few seconds. Kayla was standing a few feet away, her back to him. He could see the outline of a man standing in front of her, hands on her arms. Harry could see his skin turning white from holding her so tight. The man's voice carried over to him. He shuddered involuntarily as it reached his ears.

"I had heard rumor of you and Harry Potter, but none of them said how pretty you were."

_Hey, _Harry thought, _that's my girlfriend, not yours._

All thoughts of beating up some guy hitting on Kayla were erased as the man looked at him, locking eyes. Harry's eyes widened in horror. He tried to pull his gaze away, but something more powerful than him prevented him. He tried to move back, but he was paralyzed with fear seeing what he had done to previous girls. The man looked away. Harry immediately retched everything he had eaten within the past three days.

**Hello, Harry. I had not expected you so soon. But this does not ruin my plans in the least. This will only make them more enjoyable.**

Harry's hand flew to his head as the pain started again. ten times worse.

**It hurts doesn't it? This is only a fragment of what pain I can cause. Physical and emotional. Now, if you're a good boy, you'll only have to see me do this once to your girlfriend, okay?**

Harry curled into a ball arms over his head trying to block him out.

_Harry, leave! Leave! Please leave! You know how to leave! Go back to Hogwarts and warn them! We can't find him! Not even with out powers combined can we fight him! _

_LEAVE! _

Harry shook his head. He didn't know how to leave. He couldn't.

_ Yes, you can! You can! Just think of Hogwarts and wish to be there with all your heart and you will be! Trust me! _

Harry immediately did as she told. Her voice was shrill and panicky.

_Hogwarts.__ I want to be at Hogwarts. I want to be with Sirius. I want to talk to my parents. I want to play Quidditch and talk to Ron and Hermione._

He felt the world starting to spin.

_I want Sirius. I want Hogwarts. I want to be at Hogwarts._

Harry fell onto the floor of Hogwarts, sobbing. He sat there for a moment not knowing where he was. He began to rock back and forth, panic and despair taking over. Kayla's face swam into his mind. He took a deep breath, trying to stop crying and think straight. Everything was coming back to him with a jolt of pain. He jumped to his feet and began running in the direction of Dumbledore's office, half blinded by tears.

If he had know what was going on just outside the school gates he would have jumped out the window and fell to his death.

Sirius stared of the portrait of his two best friends. " I-I-I'm Harry's father? How could this have happened? I thought-"

He didn't finish the sentence and never would. He looked around the room and then back at the portrait.

"I'll be right back. I- I need to go check on Harry. I have a bad feeling." Lily nodded seeing the look on his face. James looked like he was about to argue, but Sirius left the room before he could say anything.

Albus Dumbledore looked gravely out the window of the Headmasters' quarters. As the headmaster, and drinker of the Ghost potion, he had certain abilities that humans did not. He turned from the sight just outside the gate of school grounds. The site of hundreds, probably thousands, of Voldemort's followers lined behind him, dressed all in black with masks covering their faces.

It was too late. There wasn't anytime to warn the student's, or ministry of the attack.

Voldemort would enter the school in a matter of minutes and the final battle would begin.

He pointed his wand at his throat and whispered, "Sonorous."

"All students report immediately to your common rooms. I repeat all students to your common rooms. Do not delay. If you do, you may not live to see tomorrow. Again, all students to common room. All teachers to entrance hall."

He whispered the counter curse and walked down to the entrance hall.

Voldemort smiled wickedly as the next last to barrier of the famed Hogwarts school, the unbreakable place in the wizarding world, fell. He immediately began work on last one, drawing power from it as he went.

The ground shook, knocking some of the Death Eaters off their feet.

The last and final barrier against Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had feel.

He walked forward and pushed open the gate, ecstasy cursing through him.

He had finally succeeded.

Hogwarts was broken.

Harry fell to the floor as the ground shook. He immediately stood back up, mind racing.

He stood still for a second, unbelieving, before running toward the entrance hall.

Instinctively he knew that Voldemort had entered the school grounds.

The fate of the wizarding world came down to the next minutes.

It came to rest on his shoulders and his alone.

It was now, or never.

All would be won, or all lost.

Childhood innocence would be a thing of long ago for all.

Lives would be lost, maybe his own, to defeat Voldemort, the greatest feared wizard of all time.

Kayla fell to the ground as the man released her, sobbing.

He walked a few paces away, brow furrowed. His words carried over to her.

"So, dear brother, the time has come. Yes, the time has come."

He grabbed her arm and she was thrown into the swirling colors.

Harry ran out into the lawn, Sirius and Dumbledore at his sides.

Voldemort was slowly advancing up the sloping lawn his hoard of Death Eaters behind him.

Dumbledore stopped. Minerva appeared at his side.

"Do you want me to contact the order?''

He nodded. She rushed back into the castle.

Harry felt in his pocked for the music box he had retrieved from Grimmauld Place, a month or so back.

"Not yet, Harry. Not yet. I have a feeling we will be having company worse than Voldemort."

If the situation hadn't been so dire he would've replied with something sarcastic, but held his tongue.

Voldemort was half way up the lawn when two people virtually fell out of the sky.

Harry gasped.

It was Kayla and the man he had seen.

Voldemort stopped dead in tracks, staring at the man.

Harry was able to see Voldemort's slits for eyes through the mask.

He saw something that he would have never thought possible.

The Dark Lord, for the first time in his life, was scared.

Harry could see stark fear in his eyes.

He now knew who the man was.

It was Voldemort's brother.

"Hello, brother," he spat. "How come you didn't come to the family reunion? Aunt Sophia was wondering what happened to you."

Harry wasn't paying attention to the conversation.

_Kayla… _

_He still has my arm. I can't get loose. _

_ Did he…_

_ No. He had just slapped me a few times when he felt Voldemort break through the wards. _

Harry could hear the tears in her voice. He abruptly turned his attention to Tom and Philip Riddle's conversation as Philip let out a roar.

"You abandoned me. You always told me all my life that I was worthless. I had nothing to offer to the world. I was absolutely nothing.  Just another meaningless name written down on paper. "

In his rage he let go of Kayla's arm. Se ran for her life towards Harry. He immediately hugged her when she reached him.

Everyone was watching spell bound. Voldemort was backing up.

"I believed you. I believed everything you had ever said."

An aurora of power was beginning to form around him, the color of the darkest night, the color when monsters come out to play.

"I thought I was nothing and would never become anything. I believed that until I started school. Than I discovered that I could do things. I was more than some meaningless name written down somewhere."

They had been standing a foot apart, but Voldemort had backed up about two feet, obviously scared of his brother.

The aurora of inky black power was now spreading out from his body, about a foot all around him, and increasing with every word.

"It became my sole purpose in life to prove you wrong. I read every book I could find, studied everything I could, determined to excel at everything I could."

Everyone had moved far away from the two brothers giving them plenty of room.

No one was moving, some not even breathing, holding their breath anxiously waiting.

Philip's aurora was now creeping across the lawn and reaching towards the sky.

"I was fifteen when I discovered "dark magic" as some people call it. It opened up a whole new world for new. I found I could do things beyond human reckoning."

The thing of blackness, it was now obvious it was more than just an aurora of power, was at Harry's feet. They couldn't back up any more without going on the school steps.

"I became the most powerful being on the face of the earth. Ever heard of the Harmless potion?"

Voldemort took a further step back.

"I see you do. Some may say the name is ironic, but I think it's fitting. It is harmless to the person who drinks it, but not to the people the drinker whishes to seek revenge."

Harry stumbled as the black things started to entwine around his legs. He looked down wonderingly at it. How could it do that? It looked beautiful as it slithered slowly up his legs, turning to blood red, contrasting against his black school robes. He continued to stare at it as if hypnotized.

Harry gasped as he felt arms around him, holding him tight. He stayed still trying to get his bearing for the third time in the past two hours. He started to struggle when he felt the menacing presence of Philip Riddle. He was close… very close… but where. He stopped struggling momentarily when he realized the person who had him was Philip Riddle.

"Wise choice, young Potter," he whispered before Harry could begin struggling again. "There's no need to make this any harder, or more painful than necessary, is there?"

Harry shuddered as his breath caressed his ear. Harry started struggling wildly.

"Well, we just can't have this, now can we?"

The next instant all Harry knew was white hot pain. It felt like very dull knives were being rammed into his skin at about hundred a minute. A scream ripped through his throat. Suddenly his uncle appeared and began beating him, adding to the pain. Sirius showed up. He took the belt from Vernon and smiled wickedly down at Harry bleeding on the floor.

"I never loved you. I hate you. I always have. You were never loved, and you never will be. You parents never even loved you. They just acted like it so Voldemort wouldn't suspect anything. If they had hadn't acted like they had loved you, Voldemort wouldn't have killed them and tried to kill you. If he hadn't they would never be rid of you."

Sirius started to hit him saying, "I hate you," between every slap.

_No, no, no, _Harry thought desperately. _This isn't real. It can't be real. It can't be._

Harry gasped. The spell had been lifted. He rolled onto fours as he retched. He sat back on his heels for a second before being yanked up.

"Are you going to struggle?" he whispered an inch away from Harry's face. Harry stayed silent. He shook him, making his broke ribs ache in protest. Harry now realized the injuries he had got from the beatings had stayed even after the spell was lifted.

"Are you going to struggle?" he asked again.

Harry kept his mouth shut.

"Then we'll just have to do that again, except this time it will hurt more and last longer."

"I-I-I won't struggle," Harry whispered as he began to say the spell.

Philip smiled horribly. "Glad that you've come to your senses."

Harry tried to block him out, ashamed that he had said that he wouldn't struggle. Philip flicked his hand. Kayla now stood about three feet away, suspended in the air chains around her body, confining her.

"Tell me," he whispered in Harry's ear, "what would you do to spare her the pain that you just went through? To keep her from becoming like so many other girls that I have taken an interest in? In the hospital raving mad, dead from having committed suicide, or with a newborn baby? What you do to spare her that pain? To spare her life?"

Harry didn't move, hardly daring to breathe eyes immediately going to Kayla suspended in mid air.

"Would you be willing to join me? Join me and fight against my brother and the Order? If you say no, I will make you watch every person who love, or care about, die a slow and painful death. I will not kill you after that. That would nice, and I do not have a once of niceness in me. Already everyone you love is dying. My "helper" if you will, the blackness that had every one so enraptured, is slowly killing them as we speak. The longer you take to answer the less chance there is of them living. The only to save them is to join me. There is no other way, understand?"

_ Harry, no! You can't join him! It isn't the only way! There is another way! _

"Will you join me, Harry Potter?" he asked his red eyes boring into Harry's brilliant green.

Harry, ignoring Kayla's protests, said, "I will."


	25. Death: LAST CHAPTER!

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Death**

Philip smiled smugly. "I knew you would say yes. You would do anything to save the ones you love, even join the "dark side." '

Harry stayed silent, glaring coldly and defiantly at him, while reaching for the item he had retrieved from Grimmauld Place a week before.

The black thing started spinning faster, spreading out enclosing them in a box cut off from everyone else.

Harry gripped the item in his pocket. He blinked, and looked at Philip who now had the music box in his hand.

_How did he do that?_

"A music box? Why would Harry Potter have a music box?" He said while examining the box. "Why is it so important to you?"

He opened it and Harry cringed inwardly.

After several seconds Harry started to feel drowsy and yawned. Philip closed the box with a snap making Harry's head jerk. Harry quickly rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He could tell Philip was blinking the sleep from his eyes though he was trying to hide it.

"Tell me, where did you get this?" Harry remained silent. "Fine," he snapped," don't talk. I have to say you're smarter than I thought. This would have been excellent to use in battle. Make sure all of your people have ear plugs, open this, make all the Death Eaters drowsy and then kill them. Smart, if proving that you can't fight, but smart still. I congratulate you. Since you're refusing to talk, I'll put the mark on you now."

Harry made sure none of his panic showed on the outside.

He turned his back to Harry, knowing he wouldn't dare harm him, and touched his index finger to his forehead and started to say an incantation in a language Harry didn't know. The black thing started spinning faster and faster until it was just a black swirl.

Harry turned his face up against the wind, watching it entranced as part of it broke off and slowly floated to the ground. As it hit the ground it started taking form. He could see legs forming, then torso, shoulders, arms, and a head. Clothes and features came after that.

A teenage guy now stood in front of Harry. He was about six feet, and Harry could tell he had at least a six pack abs. He was looking at Harry from beneath his blonde shaggy hair. He had tantalizing blue eyes that many girls had, and many more would, had become lost in never to be rescued. Harry knew that almost all girls would thing him a total hottie.

He walked over to Harry and placed his index finger on the center of his forehead. Harry screamed as searing pain shot through his body. It felt as if he was being poked with needles all over his body. He screamed louder as the pain intensified, tears running down his cheeks. It felt as if all his bones were grating against each other. He could have sworn someone was cutting his head open with a very dull knife.

Just as abruptly as it had started it stopped. He fell to the ground, sobbing, and exhausted. His head was still throbbing horribly, but it wads bearable. He felt something warm roll down his cheek. He felt his forehead and pulled his hand away. It took Harry's brain a minute to realize it was blood. His blood.

The guy was sitting in front of Harry, wiping the blood off his forehead. Harry winced as he dabbed something on that stung. He then held up a mirror that had appeared out of no where. Harry sucked in a breath.

His forehead was raw read with a huge snake with it mouth open in the center of his forehead. There were snakes coming out of its mouth, snakes coming out of those mouths and so on. Harry followed them and saw it traveled off his forehead, down onto his check, and then down over and around his neck, disappearing under his shirt collar. He couldn't see an end to it. Suddenly it disappeared then reappeared. Harry blinked, confused.

"Unlike my brother, I see the importance of hiding the mark I put on my followers. I do not see it as un-loyal, simply not getting caught. If you want it to disappear think the word disappear. To appear think appear."

"Appear and disappear? Is that the best you can come up with?" Harry said coldly.

Philip glared at him. "I did not come up with it. And from now on you will call me Master, understand?"

Harry nodded. Philip looked at him expectantly. "Yes, Master, I understand," he said reluctantly, cursing himself.

He smiled. "Good."

He turned to Kayla, still suspended in mid air. "I'll have to erase her memory." Harry took a sharp breath. "No, I won't do that. I have a better idea, a much better idea," he said maliciously.

Harry's heart dropped to somewhere around his knees.

Ethan sipped at his Butterbeer thinking about how lucky they had been to find a wizard willing to take them to Hogsmead, and that they had decided to leave early.

"Are you almost done?" Amy asked.

He nodded. They got up and left the pub having already paid for their drinks.

They walked nonchalantly to the Shrieking Shack and entered.

"Are you sure this is right?" Amy asked looking disdainfully at the dust and fearfully at the broken furniture.

"Yes, Amy, I'm sure. Don't worry so much." She huffed at him. "Here it is, the entrance," he said quietly.

They both slipped into the tunnel and began their way to Hogwarts.

"Albus, what's happening? What's that black thing?" Sirius quietly asked the old wizard.

"I have heard legend of something like this, but…"

"But what?" Sirius said anxious.

"If it is that things are direr than I thought."

"What is it?"

"If the legend is correct, and it is what I think it is, than the person who can bring it forth will be the person to destroy all hope along with the wizarding world. You have heard stories about when we were almost wiped out completely back in 1200s, haven't you?" Sirius nodded.

"It was said that it was the darkest time we've know. Even worse than Voldemort at his worst. They said that if it happened it again that it was most likely we wouldn't survive. What does that have to do with this?"

"That person was said to have had a shadow with, the black abyss as some called it, that he could animals and creatures of all kinds out of, things that the human mind can not comprehend. Creatures of darkness and evil. It can grab people from miles away and bring them to him, like it did Harry. That's partly why it was deadly. He could think of a person, they could be in a different country, and they would come to him. He did what he pleased with them and then killed them. He can make it take the shape of any form he wants, a human being with a working intelligent brain, or a simple kitten to lure a child to him. The shapes he makes with it can make people think the only thing to do is to join him. He shows them promises of great riches and happiness and they are drawn in, tough it the exact opposite of riches and happiness."

"Could he get through to Harry? Could he make him think that?" Sirius asked panic in voice.

"Possibly."

"We have to go get him out of there now," Sirius said suddenly angry,

"We can't even see him, so how do you suppose we get him? Normally, I would say yes, but the only things I know about this black thing is assumption. We can't, Sirius. We have to trust him."

"If he shows Harry a promise of happiness, I don't know if he can say no. He's had so much sadness in his life that a promise of that might convince him to join. And he has Kayla in there. If he threatens to kill her, or harm her in any way, he'll agree. As much as he hates the dark, he would agree to join if the thought it would protect us. You know he would! WE can't jut stand here doing NOTHING!"

"I understand you're concern, and I feel the same, but we can't Sirius. It's too dangerous. We-"

"It's starting to fade," Sirius said eyes trained in front of him.

Everyone else realized this also and looked. The black thing slowly disappeared. After five minutes it was completely gone.

Philip Riddle stood there, the wind whipping at his robes.

"I can't see Harry," Sirius mumbled.

Philip and Tom Riddle's eyes were trained on each other, neither breaking the staring contest. Both raised their wands at the same time.

Philip spoke quietly, but it carried over the silent grounds.

"So, brother ready to duel?"

They both shouted at the same time.

"_Incendio__!"___

_"Expectomugformi!"___

The spells collided in mid air going back to their caster.

"Fire, brother? Is that all you got? Why are we using these pitiful wands anyway? We don't need them, do you? Well, _I_ don't it anyway," he said smugly, grinning. Voldemort scowled and threw his wand away as the black thing started spinning again.

A beautiful woman with long silvery blonde hair came out this time and came up to Voldemort. Philip watched on in enjoyment as he saw the woman work her charm. He could slowly see his brother's mind changing about his opinion of him. He gave her five minutes before asking, "So, brother, would you like to join me?"

"Yes," Voldemort replied in a dreamy voice, in a trance like state.

The woman placed her index finger on the center of Voldemort's forehead. Everyone watched, wanting to turn away, but unable to, as Voldemort was marked as one of Philip, now Master, followers.

Ethan and Amy went through the tunnel as quickly as they could.

"Finally the end," Amy panted.

The quickly came out and froze eyes taking in the scene around them.

Amy swallowed before speaking. "You were right about Voldemort being up to something."

They watched enthralled as some man they didn't know made his way toward Voldemort, revealing what he had been hiding behind his back.

Ethan had to grip Amy to stay upright.

Harry Potter was lying on the ground, lifeless.

"Now, Tom," Philip said walking toward him, "you will call me Master from now on, understand?"

"Yes, Master."

Everyone followed Philip's movements, except Sirius. His eyes were trained on what he had been hiding behind his back.

His godson's apparently lifeless body.

_No, no, no, no, no, no. This can not be happening. Harry isn't dead! He isn't dead! He can't be dead!_

He tried to run to him, but someone was holding him back. He struggled for what felt like ages, but only minutes in reality, before being released.

Sirius knew he hadn't run faster in his life. He dropped down beside Harry's lifeless body, hand immediately going to his neck searching for a pulse, while his eyes were trained on his chest hoping for the rise and fall to show that he was breathing. He wasn't breathing. His search for a pulse became frantic. After a minute he stopped, dread bubbling inside him. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"He's gone, Sirius," Dumbledore said. Sirius didn't miss the catch in his voice.

Sirius slipped his arms under him pulling him to his chest. "No, he can't be gone. Harry, wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!" he screaming shaking him and sobbing. He felt someone try to take Harry from him.

"NO! YOU'RE NOT TAKING HIM FROM ME! HE'S STILL ALIVE, I KNOW IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!" he roared. "He's still alive, he has to be alive, he has to be," he mumbled, sobbing, in his godson's hair, and started to rock. "He has to be…"

Kayla came running over to where Sirius was. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Harry's body and Sirius crying.

_No. This can't be real. It can't be._

She quickly ran over to Dumbledore. "Is he really…"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," he said gravely.

Dumbledore looked on in pity, his heart breaking for the broken man in front of him, and the life taken to early.

**THE END…**


End file.
